If I Were You
by Lu82
Summary: NEW SUMMARY: . The story was formerly known as 'Se Fossi In Te '. Spike, Angel and Xander are not completely happy with their lives. Want to find out how they'll try to make them better? Pleeease, give it a try, I promise it will be fun, despite the angs
1. Denying The Undeniable

Well, well, since I already began posting two of my FFs and I saw I'm having good luck (to me even a single review means already good luck!) , I try to add another one.. this is my newest story ever.

Since I saw there's trouble using certain symbols I used for characters' thoughts ( sorry for 'Simply Absurd, I'll try to pay more attention in the next chapters) , I 'm gonna use this ones instead: -- -- .

I decided to keep the original title of the movie as title; although, I translated it for you at the summary, eh, eh! ;)

Ok, let's start.

SE FOSSI IN TE ...

Main Pairings: Spike/Buffy (like that's a surprise!), Xander/Anya, Angel/Cordelia… but they will switch, although they'll practically remain the same ... in a certain way..

Disclaimer: I want to thank the Director of the movie "Se Fossi in Te" and the cast for their inspiration, I might quote a few sentences from it... but I'm not sure about it, since I just begun writing it.

About BTVS, I've repeated ad nauseam that none of the characters belong to me but to the evil Joss & Co, I just borrow them to have some fun! ;-P

Plus, I took some stuff from Seasons 4, 5 and 6 (I won't even enumerate the episodes), but of course, there's also some stuff that comes from my imagination.

Setting: Season 6 of BTVS; but aside from that it's AU, because Anya and Xander aren't planning their marriage, and Riley doesn't come back... and he never will! And Season 3 of ATS, but it's even more AU, since I haven't seen it after Season 2. Anyway, there's no Darla and Connor (they would've given me too much trouble) and Fred (I hate her!) is replaced by Harmony. Plus, there no Shanshu prophecy... yeah, I think I changed quite a lot!

A big thanks to : My wonderful Mari, not only a beta, but a great friend , too ! ;)

Rating: PG 13/ NC 17

Summary: It means 'If I were you' and that's the title of the Italian movie (my favourite) that inspired this FF, although it will be VERY different from the movie, otherwise what fun would it be? To begin with, it's not a Fantasy FF, it takes place in the BTVS/ATSverse.

Anyway, the movie is about three men who are unhappy with their existences so... they switch them. So... what if something like that happened in the Buffyverse?

Don't let the first kinda angsty chapters mislead you, because this story will turn out very fun, at least I hope so...

If you think this is the umpteenth FF about bodies switching , you're soooo wrong.. chapter by chapter you'll figure out what I mean..

Chapter 1: Denying The Undeniable

(Lyrics from 'Must get out' by Maroon 5, and 'Easier to Run' by Linkin Park, not only because I adore these two songs, but also because I think they fit to a T for this situation... check it out!)

"We gotta stop. We can't go on like this. It's wrong!" Buffy exclaimed, jumping from Spike's bed and gathering all her clothes that lay scattered around the crypt.

The bleached blond showed her one of his cockiest smiles as he dressed up again. "And with this one it makes one hundred and eighty two times that you've said that!"

"This time I mean it!" she struck back.

"Ninety five times of saying that line!" he chuckled, fastening his jeans, but the will to laugh disappeared as soon as he met her gaze, a way too serious gaze.

This time she meant it for real.

"You're taking advantage of me taking advantage of you!" she accused him.

"And to think that I was sure Dru was the enigmatic girl! What do you mean with that?" he narrowed his eyes.

"The things you keep doing to me, because I let you, because I want you to, all that is killing me... William!" she confessed with tearful eyes.

He looked at her stunned. She rarely, very rarely, called him by his real name; but when she did, it meant that she was considering him as a person, not a thing.

"Why? I'm just making you feel alive! That's what you always tell me!"

"It's true, but it's not only that. You are confusing me. I feel that I'm slipping away from my world, bit by bit... and I don't want to. I can't love you. I don't know where it will take me... and I don't want to find out!"

-- I can't love you! Does that mean that she already loves me? -- he thought.

"Hell, yeah, you can love a vampire, you already did and..."

"That was a totally different story!" she cut him off, bitterly.

The vampire narrowed his sapphire eyes.

"Oh, sure! Because he has his precious soul that makes him the bloody Champion of all the Champions! Well, I also turned my back to the evil..."

"You did just due to the chip!" she cut him off, dryly.

"Do you really think so? Don't you think that it's due to something I feel inside?" he struck back.

"Without a soul you can't feel anything, not even the love you claim you feel for me!" she snapped, but immediately brought a hand to her mouth, shocked, with tearful eyes, as if she was aware that she had exaggerated, that she had said something she didn't think for real.

Of course, Spike didn't have a soul, but he loved her and she knew that very well, he had shown her thousands of times. He could feel everything, from the almost fraternal affection for Dawn, to the unconditional love for Buffy... to the pain she could read in his eyes due to her last words.

"You know what, Slayer? I'm not killing you, you are already doing the job on your bloody own, because you are preventing yourself from finding the true happiness you could achieve with me, if only you quit deceiving yourself, if only you realized what you really want. But I guess I'll never hear those seventy-six bloody trombones play!" he snapped, leaving the crypt furiously.

Buffy remembered very well that speech, it had been right before their very first kiss. It wasn't a spell, it wasn't a dream, it wasn't a reward that came out of thankfulness... it was a real kiss, a kiss with capital K, the prelude of an endless yet troubled love.

Especially now that Spike was gone, who knows where, who knows for how long.

-- He's going away from me. That's what I wanted, wasn't it? Why am I feeling so damn empty then? -- she thought as she heard him set his car in motion.

She ran towards him.

"Spike, wait!" she screamed, reaching him.

He turned off the car, but didn't move to get out of it, he confined himself to open the car door.

"Will you be back?" she wondered with a faint voice.

"Why do you care? After all I'm nothing but a wicked soulless demon without any feelings!" he snapped, shutting the door and leaving as fast as he could.

He forced himself not to look on the rear-view mirror as the girl's figure became smaller and smaller until she was completely gone, because her sad green eyes would've been a way too strong call for him.

And he didn't want to surrender.

I'VE BEEN THE NEEDLE AND THE THREAD

WEAVING FIGURE EIGHTS AND CIRCLES ROUND YOUR HEAD

In the kind of relationship they had, Spike had done all he could do, he had almost loved for the both of them; he had tried to make her understand, to enter in her mind.

I TRY TO LAUGH BUT CRY INSTEAD

PATIENTLY WAIT TO HEAR THE WORDS YOU'VE NEVER SAID

He had acted as if he was happy, as if everything amused him, but he suffered inside and sometimes he found himself crying, blaming the sensible and fragile poet who was still inside him.

He had waited for a long time for her to say the three magic words he knew that she wanted to tell him, but now he was losing all his hope.

FUMBLING THROUGH YOUR DRESSER DRAWER

FORGOT WHAT I WAS LOOKING FOR

TRY TO GUIDE ME IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION

And yet, the girl whom by nature he should kill had changed him, so much so that it made him do something he would never believe he was capable of, like sneaking through the window into her bedroom to take some of her garments, anything that could make him remember her.

She had made him turn his back to evil; the chip was just a secondary factor. That tiny annoying object just prevented him from hurting people, but Buffy made him want not to kill people, that was different.

He remembered how hard he had tried to impress her, just like when he was helping some injured people at the Bronze, but he didn't dare taste not even a drop of their blood.

MAKING USE OF ALL THIS TIME

KEEPING EVERYTHING INSIDE

CLOSE MY EYES AND LISTEN TO YOU CRY

He remembered the nights when he was dying to tell Buffy how he felt about her, but he had to keep it all inside and just be the shoulder she could cry on.

I'M LIFTING YOU UP, I'M LETTING YOU DOWN

He had lifted her up in her blackest moments, but he had also let her down, when he didn't manage to save her, because he hadn't been fast enough and that was still something he couldn't forgive himself for.

And he was letting her down now, because he didn't have a soul.

I'M DANCING 'TIL DAWN, I'M FOLLING AROUND

Now he didn't know what to do. Sure, he could have gone to some pubs and fool around with some nice girls but it would be useless. No way, he wanted to dance only with his Slayer.

I'M NOT GIVING UP, I'M MAKING YOUR LOVE

THIS CITY'S MADE US CRAZY AND WE MUST GET OUT

He didn't want to give up. He could make the love that that girl kept hidden inside to surface again. But right now he just wanted to get out from the town that was making him crazy.

The best solution would be to take Buffy away with him, away from the hellmouth and her duties, but he knew that that would just make things worse. Plus, he had learned his lesson very well: Buffy didn't like being knocked down and abducted.

AND THIS IS NOT A GOODBYE SHE SAID

IT'S JUST TIME FOR ME TO REST MY HEAD

In a swing of emotions she had showed him that, as she had also had all the times when she swore and swore again that it was over between them, but it wasn't ever a real goodbye.

At the very end, he knew that somehow even now it wasn't over for real; he just needed to rest and be alone with his thoughts.

SHE DOESN'T WALKS, SHE RUN INSTEAD

DOWN THESE JAGGED STREETS AND INTO MY BED

Usually, when they argued, she left his crypt in a fury, but she didn't stay away for too long, she always ran back to his crypt at deep night to slip into his bed and make up with him.

But this time it wouldn't happen.

THERE'S ONLY SO MUCH I CAN DO FOR YOU

AFTER ALL OF THE THINGS YOU PUT ME THROUGH

He would've done anything for her, if only she'd given him the chance, no matter all the things she had put him through.

(In the meantime)

Buffy had returned to his crypt.

For the very first time the place seemed to be really cold and barren to her. She saw Spike's coat on the more than messed up bed. In the hurry to leave he had forgotten it there. She laid it on the mattress, as if he was inside it, and cuddled close to it as tears rolled down her cheeks.

-- Oh God, what did I do? This time I've lost him forever! --

IT'S EASIER TO RUN, REPLACING THIS PAIN WITH SOMETHING NUMB

IT'S SO MUCH EASIER TO GO THAN FACING THE PAIN HERE ALL ALONG

Everyone believed that she was brave, because she was the Slayer, but truth was that she felt just like a big coward. Yes, because for her it was easier to run away from her only chance of salvation and replace it with something dead and unreal.

She stand up and face all the people she cared and upset them... even if that meant to give up on the one she cared the most.

SOMETHING HAS BEEN TAKEN FROM DEEP INSIDE OF ME

A SECRET I'VE KEPT LOCKED AWAY, NO ONE CAN EVER SEE

Spike had gone away and she felt as if something had been ripped off her. But that was a secret that she kept jealously, because no one should never know.

WOUNDS SO DEEP THEY NEVER SHOW, THEY NEVER GO AWAY

LIKE MOVING PICTURES IN MY HEAD, FOR YEARS AND YEARS THEY PLAYED

Images of Spike kept playing in her head, she saw Spike during all those years, first as a mortal enemy, then as an ally, then as mortal enemy again, then a friend and finally as her lover.

But those memories did nothing but hurt her more.

IF I COULD CHANGE I WOULD, TAKE BACK THE PAIN I WOULD

RETRACE EVRY WRONG MOVE THAT I MADE I WOULD

IF I COULD TAKE ALL THE SHAME TO THE GRAVE I WOULD

That made her wish that she could fix things, take back all the words she had said, retrace the path without making the same mistakes anymore, so she would bury that unreasonable sense of shame in the same grave she had come out from a few months before.

But she couldn't do that, so she found easier to run away from everything.

SOMETIMES I REMEMBER THE DARKNESS OF MY PAST

BRINGING BACK THOSE MEMORIES I WISH I DIDN'T HAVE

Sure, during the recent epidemic of songs that afflicted Sunnydale, supported by a chorus, some notes and rhymes, Buffy had confessed to her friends what they had done to her. But no one, except for Spike, knew how she really felt, having had the illusion of Heaven and then coming back to the life that she considered Hell, even more darker and unliveable than before, especially now her light had been turned off.

Yes. No matter how paradoxical it sounds, that vampire, that creature of darkness was the only light outside the tunnel that now had become an endless labyrinth.

SOMETIMES I THINK OF LETTING GO, AND NEVER LOOKING BACK

AND NEVER MOVING FORWARD SO THERE WOULD NEVER BE A PAST

She just wanted to turn back time, just a couple of hours before, when she was still in his arms and she felt alive, so she could have stopped time right then, without moving forward anymore.

But she couldn't, so she wished there was no past, because to remember was too painful.

JUST WASHING IT ASIDE, ALL OF THIS HELPLESNESS INSIDE

PRETENDING I DON'T FEEL MISPALCED, IT'S SO MUCH EASIER THAN CHANGE

She knew that her wishes wouldn't turn true, so the only thing left to do was to wash it all aside, become strong again and act with the others as is everything was alright.

Although it wasn't true.

TBC

I know, I know pretty sad start. But trust me, this FF will turn into a comedy soon, although the real story begins after chapter three.. be patient!

I hope you'll like it..


	2. That Missing Something

Well, previously I messed up with Spike and Buffy. Do you really think that I can let the other two main couples be happy? Naaah… ;-P

Chapter Two: That Missing Something

(In the meantime)

LOS ANGELES

Angel was happy, but not in a dangerous way.

He was just glad about how things were going.

The investigations' agency was doing great, he generally managed to solve out most of the cases with his collaborators' help. Plus, most of their clients paid very well for their services, mostly due to Cordelia's pressure.

Speaking of Cordelia, they were finally together, although it was fairly recent, they'd just began dating a few months ago.

He had officially declared his love for her, even if he had used a lot of pauses and roundabouts to do it. And he had pleasurably found out that the feeling was mutual.

They had never gone further than kisses and some caresses... due to his 'little' problem with perfect happiness. But Wesley was working on that ritual. It would take some months, or maybe longer, but the Englishman had the certainty that he would manage to take off that annoying clause to make his soul permanent.

He heard some laughter coming from Cordelia's room and he was not surprised when he saw her with Harmony. After all, the two girls had been best friends since High School and some things didn't change ... not even if one of them now had become a vampiress.

Angel didn't disturb them, but he stood in the corridor listening to them, because he was victim of a demon called curiosity.

"So, now you're the Boss' girl, that's what I call to make a bid for the power!" Harmony chuckled as they both painted their toes.

"It's not about power, Harm, it's about love. I really love Angel, because to him I'm not just the typical beautiful doll. He respects me, he believes in my capacity..."

"And he's hot!" her friend added with a knowing smile.

"Hell yeah, he's hot! Vampire or not, he's definitely the most gorgeous guy I have ever dated. Plus, gee, wanna talk about his yummy butt that seems to scream 'Bite me!'?" the brunette admitted and they both ended up giggling.

If his dead body had allowed him, Angel would have blushed at that.

"Anyway, sometimes I'm not sure about that. I mean, I love him very much, but I don't think it's enough to deal with everything..." Cordelia added, becoming thoughtful.

"What do you mean?" the blonde asked.

"First, that's the never aging problem. Gee, I can't stand the idea that one terrible day I'll look older than him!" she explained, disgusted just by the thought. "And then, I would like to do some normal stuff with him, such as walking in the sunlight, going out for a dinner where both of us eat, hearing his heartbeat, getting married in a consecrated Church... having children one fine day..."

If his dead body would have allowed him, Angel would have had a heart attack.

-- Gee, from a simple walk... to a family! This girl is in such a rush...-- he thought, but then the harsh realization hit him. -- I can't give her any of the things she wants. She deserves so much better, I really don't deserve her, I'm not worthy of her... --

And that wasn't all. There was more and it got even worse.

"Plus, you know, sometimes I'm afraid that he still thinks about Buffy and that we'll live with her ghost between us forever... I don't think I'd be able to stand that," she added.

"Oh, don't worry, that's never gonna happen!" Harmony comforted her and Cordelia smiled at her friend. "Buffy has already returned from death, so she can't be a ghost!" she added immediately after.

"Gee, Harm, that was just a metaphor! I just don't want him to think of her whenever he is with me..." Cordelia clarified, shaking her head in resignation.

-- No, please, honey, not Buffy. I love her, sure, but just as a good friend, things have changed and now I don't care about her anymore, not in that way at least. If she arrived here just now and she asked me to stay with her, I would choose you over her without any doubt, why can't you see that? I don't want you to spend your life with someone you don't trust and who can't even give you everything you desire... -- he thought grieving, as he went towards the exit.

That night there would be no investigations, no fights, no disguises, nothing at all. Angel just needed to be alone with his thoughts, so he got in his car and left.

( In the meantime )

SUNNYDALE

Xander and Anya had spent a romantic night at the Bronze, mostly because their friends weren't there, so they had been free to be very effusive with each other.

Well, not that their friends being there would've made any difference for Anya, anyway.

They were just a few blocks away from their house, but it was very late at night, so all the demons and vampires of Sunnydale were around.

In fact, a couple of vampires attacked them.

"I'm way too young to die! After all, I've been living just for a thousand years, it's not enough!" Anya complained as Xander tried to face them, with disappointing results.

After all, he was just a human being, and he definitely wasn't a fighter! And sadly, Anya had lost all her demonic powers.

Xander managed to smash one vampire to the ground, but the other one had taken advantage of that to hurl towards Anya, but he became dust before he had the chance to sink his fangs into her neck.

Yeah, because, as she returned home from Spike's crypt, after her angsty moment, Buffy had seen them from afar, rushing and getting there just in time and throwing a stake form afar, she dusted her goal on the first try.

The second vampire, though, had the honour to fight against her... for almost twenty seconds before her stake got embedded in his heart, making him explode in a pile of dust.

"Well, I guess I saved the moment!" she smiled, cleaning the dust from her jacket.

It was then when Anya focused on her.

"Hey, Buffy, are you okay? Your eyes are all red…" she noticed in concern.

"Uh! Bad dust of bad vamps hurting my poor eyes. See? They can be evil even after I've killed them!" Buffy justified, rubbing her eyes to make her friends believe that it was due to the dust.

Xander and Anya accepted her explanation; after all they would've never imagined that her eyes were red and puffy because Buffy had cried a lot. That was just impossible for them, because she was Buffy, the brave and strong Slayer who never got upset, who never had a moment of weakness.

"Okay, it seems that coast is clear now, enjoy your walk home. See you, guys!" the blonde waved them goodbye, walking back to her own home, as she thought over how Dawn would react as soon as she informed her that Spike had left town, maybe forever.

The walk home of the couple wasn't serene at all, though, and this time it wasn't the vampires' fault.

"You didn't protect me!" Anya accused him.

"I tried to, but I'm just human, try to understand..." Xander justified.

"Yes, you are a useless human being who can't take care of his girlfriend. I'd never thought that one day I would say that, but... sex is not the only thing that's needed to make a relationship work!" she snapped.

"Yeah, you're right, there's also respect, and that's not what you're showing me now. C'mon, you're blaming this on me... because I'm human!" he snapped.

"Yes. I'd rather have someone who can keep me safe and sound, but I don't have a boyfriend like that, do I? Whatever. Okay, now why don't we have some good sex and forget all the bad stuff, hmm?" she suggested to him nonchalantly, as if nothing had happened.

He looked at her seriously, shaking his head negatively.

"No, Anya, it doesn't work like that. No sex, no fixing things, not tonight. You know what? I won't even sleep with you, I'll take the couch. That will help us both to reflect about what happened..." he decided and they did that, although Anya didn't agree.

And she was even more disappointed when, the morning after, she didn't find him home at her awakening.

She already knew that he hadn't gone away due to his job.

TBC

I know it's still sad, maybe even than before, but trust me, trust me, trust me! ;)

I hope you'll like it, please, tell me what you think so far, whatever it is, even criticism can help.. but not flaming..

Thanks anyway


	3. Be Careful With What You Wish For

Chapter Three: Be Careful With What You Wish For

(Lyrics from 'There is' by Boxcar Racer ... i.e. two of the members of blink-182 (the singer/guitarist and the drummer) under another name, LOL! Anyway I adore this song, it's my favourite of their whole album and I knew that sooner or later it would come in handy...)

THIS VACATION IS USELESS, THESE WHITE PILLS AREN'T KIND

I'VE GIVEN A LOT OF THOUGHTS ON THIS THIRTEEN HOUR DRIVE

Spike had been driving for hours, it was already a little after noon by now.

He could have taken a vacation, but that would've been useless, he could have gotten high with pills and drugs, or do whatever else, but nothing would prevent him from thinking about her, about what they had, about what they could have had.

I'VE GIVEN A LOT OF THOUGHTS TO THE NIGHTS WE USED TO HAVE

THE DAYS HAVE COME AND GONE, OUR LIVES WENT BY SO FAST

I FAINTLY REMEMBER BREATHING ON YOUR BEDROOM FLOOR

WHEN I LAID AND TOLD YOU BUT YOU SWEAR YOU LOVE ME MORE

He thought about their wild nights, from the first, when after a restless fight, they both had given in to their instincts with such a passion that... they had taken the house down.

Then he remembered when, due to a special ray, Buffy had become invisible, but she hadn't given up looking for him, quite the contrary!

He remembered the sexual tension between them at the magic shop, when he had asked her out on Halloween to patrol together, a kind of official first date, and also at her birthday, when... if only the blonde witch hadn't interrupt them... God only knows what would have happened!

But things had evolved too fast as the days went on and that had ended up scaring her and making her take up a defensive position.

During one of their countless secret meetings, taking advantage of the fact that Dawn was at her best friend's house, Buffy had taken Spike into her room, but as it happened nine out of ten times, they had missed the bed and ended up clinging at each other on the floor.

Sometimes, although she had never said anything to him, Spike felt loved by Buffy, as when, in his crypt, although she had said no at first, Buffy had trusted him so much that he had let him handcuff her to his bed.

Yeah, sometimes he had the feeling that she loved him. Her caresses gave him the sweet suspicion; her kisses made him realize it and her sparkling green/hazel eyes confirmed it to him.

Her words... well, they were a shield she used against... him? Herself? The Scoobies' reactions? Not even he had figured out why she did it.

DO YOU CARE IF I DON'T KNOW WHAT TO SAY?

WILL YOU SLEEP TONIGHT? WILL YOU THINK OF ME?

WILL I SHAKE THIS OFF? PRETEND IT'S ALL OK?

THAT THERE'S SOMEONE OUT THERE WHO FEELS JUST LIKE ME

THERE IS

Yes, he was sure that Buffy cared about him; his words always mattered to her, and even when they didn't talk, he knew it was enough for her to look into his ocean blue eyes, or glowing amber ones, depending on the moment.

Maybe she wouldn't spend the night sleeplessly waiting for his return, but something told him that she did missed him.

So, to go just when the light of hope began to shine, no matter how feeble this light was, would be stupid, and he wasn't stupid at all.

So, he decided to go back making a very dangerous U-turn that almost caused a pile-up in the freeway.

After all, every guy who'd claimed to loved Buffy had ended up leaving her, maybe because they hadn't loved her enough. Spike wouldn't make the same mistake, his love for her was stronger than everything, it didn't know of any obstacles.

He would go back and this time he would win her heart, they wouldn't be alone anymore.

THOSE NOTES YOU WROTE TO ME, I KEPT THEM ALL

I'VE GIVEN A LOT OF THOUGHT OF HOW TO WRITE YOU BACK THIS FALL

WITH EVERY SINGLE LETTER, IN EVERY SINGLE WORD

THERE WILL BE A HIDDEN MESSAGE ABOUT A BOY WHO LOVES A GIRL

As Spike sped the DeSoto towards Sunnydale, his look fell to seat next to his, where laid a piece of paper with a scribble that had an inestimable value to him.

He still remembered when, during one of their nights together, she seemed to be in the right mood for some sugariness, as Buffy lied comfortably in Spike's embrace, on his armchair, she had picked up a piece of paper and a pen from a nearby table and began tracing a 'S' in it and then she had traced it again, making it extend until she turned it into a very artistic 'B', so much so that no one could figure out anymore where the 'S' started and the 'B' ended.

For anyone it might seem as a scrawl without any sense at all, but not for the vampire, it was almost as if Buffy had tried to make him realize that she knew that they completed each other.

He was sure she didn't know he'd kept it, she probably didn't remember even drawing it. Anyway, he didn't want her to find it, that's why he had hidden it in his car.

It didn't matter that he'd left his Buffy shrine in the lower level of his crypt, so full of things related to her that would've even made the biggest fetishist in the world envious of it!

He would have liked to repay her for her nice gesture, and God only knew how hard he'd tried to write poetry for her, but after throwing off hundreds of pages containing his efforts, unsatisfied with all of them, he had finally decided to quit trying to use that way to let Buffy know of the deep feelings that a (ultra centenary) guy had for her.

------------------------------------------------------

When he arrived to Sunnydale it was already very late at night, and of course as soon as he saw the welcome sign, he had the satisfaction of mowing it down for the fifth time.

But he didn't go to Buffy's house immediately after. He was sure that, once she knew about his return, she would be the one to look for him. Plus, it was better to make her believe that he was still out of the town.

He decided to go to the beach, to enjoy some quietness. After all, once the sun set no one went there anymore.

He sat on the shore, staring at the waves, when he felt a very familiar presence behind him, and sure enough, when he turned around he found his Grand Sire standing right there.

"In case you've forgotten, let me refresh your memory: you now live in L.A.!" the bleached blonde rolled his eyes.

"Very funny, Spike. I came here because I needed to be alone with my thoughts..." the brunette justified.

"And you couldn't find a place that allowed you to do that in a city as big as LA, right?"

"I needed to come here; this has always been the place where I can thing better, it has been that way ever since the first day I arrived to Sunnydale. And to be alone I happen to need loneliness , so... go away, Spike!" Angel growled.

"What? This is my town, now, buddy. Plus, I arrived here first, at least today, so it's you the one who's gotta go bloody away!" the other growled back at him.

"I think you both should go away!" Xander snapped, showing up in front of them.

"Whelp!" Spike looked at him, astonished.

"I've been wandering all day long and now I ended up here, because this is my favourite place since I was a kid. See? I've known of this beach for much longer than you two, that's why I'm the only one who has the right to stay here!" he explained.

"Listen, blokes, maybe we all can stay here. I was planning to get bloody drunk and forget my sorrows..." Spike said, showing them several bottles of bourbon that he had taken from his car. "Are you with me... or what?" he raised his scarred eyebrow.

Not even a whole hour after, most of the bottles were empty and the men, bonding over the alcohol, were confessing all their problems to each other, under a sky that was darker than usual, since there wasn't a single star that night.

But no matter how drunk he was, Spike hadn't said a word about the fact that he and Buffy were sleeping together.

"Ya twoooo arrre so lucky, ya're all with the powerful and shtrooong. And ya, ya are the luuuckier one..." Xander slurred, pointing at Spike.

"Whooo? Meee!" the bleached blond pointed to himself, in disbelief.

"Yeesh. Ya're Buuuufy's hero, she alwaysh look for ya when shee needs help. Think about when sheee had to protect her mother and her siishter from Gloory. Whomm did s-she bring themm to? Meee? Naaah, to ya, ya're the helpful oooone, I'm nothing. Plus, ya alwaysh follooow your instinct, no matter whaaaat. I mean, for Buuuufy ... ya broke all the rules, without fearing anything. Inssstead, I'm sooo scared of doing anything... that it's alllready twoo mooonths that I wanna ask Aanyaa to marry meee... but I shtill keep the engagement ring in my drrrrawer..." the brunette confessed.

In the meantime, Spike's un-beating heart had been throwing a party since Xander had said that he was Buffy's hero.

"Oooh, pleeease... are ya mad? Ya're the luckiest one. Ya can waaaalk into the ssunliiight, your heart beats, ya can aaaage and one fiiine day you'll can also have a famiiily. So, tell mee if thish ish not haavinggg luck!" Angel struck back.

"What the heeeell are ya complaining about? Ya're the ooonly vamp with a ssshoooul, that bloody spaaarrrk that makes Buuuufy make moony eeeyesh to ya every bloody tiiime sheee meets ya. Ya have whaaat it takes to be a Champioon!" Spike commented.

"Whaaat? Ya don't know what I wouldn't give or do to beee juust a normal guy!" the brunette vampire confessed, looking at Xander who was looking at Spike who in turn was staring at Angel... and the three men had the same enviousness for the other.

"If I were ya..." Spike murmured.

In that moment the already feeble light totally disappeared, due to a sudden eclipse and the sky became pitch black.

Not even the two vampires' supernatural view helped them to see anything.

The eclipse lasted just a few seconds, but when the moon appeared once again... something had changed.

TBC

Sorry but... I have too much fun making my characters slur due to their drunken state... and Xan still missed on my list, lol!

Well... maybe the real thing I should apologize to you for... is the very cruel point where I decided to stop the chapter, ihihihi!

Hope you enjoyed this chapter and if you did, I'd love to know. ;)

Pleeeease, I reaally need to know…

Disclaimer: This part when they meet on the beach, get a little drunk, and then confess their problems to each other and then make the same wish has been loosely taken from the original movie ... there's no need to say that in the movie the protagonists have another kind of problems, lol!

But the eclipse is my idea, in the movie there was just a starry night... ;)

The real story is going to begin from now on, are you ready? ;)


	4. After The Wish

And now the fun finally begins! ;)

Chapter IV: After The Wish

Spike was wearing Angel's clothes, Angel was wearing Xander's and Xander was wearing Spike's outfit.

"What the bloody hell? Why am I wearing this?" the bleached blond vampire exclaimed, feeling almost as if the dark grey turtle-neck sweater was suffocating him.

The general shock had been so big that it had made everyone sober again.

"Why am I wearing your shirt? I don't even like red!" Xander snapped.

"Shut up! I'm the only one who has a real reason why to complain. I've wore something like this just once in my whole existence... and it was only because of an investigation!" Angel grumbled, as he looked with horror at the yellow Hawaiian shirt with flowers he had on.

But he forgot how upset he was as soon as he realized something very important.

"Oh my! But my heart... is beating!" he exclaimed, and then he touched his face. "And I'm warm. Oh God, I'm human!" he exulted.

Xander had a particular suspicion, so he put a hand on his heart.

"Oh my God, my heart doesn't beat anymore!" he confessed, touching his face immediately after. "And I'm freaking cold!" he got alarmed.

"And you look kinda pale, too. Well, welcome to un-life, Whelp!" Spike chuckled, and then he got nervous. "Fine. That's bloody alright. You both had your wish granted, but I have not. I'm still nothing but a cruel evil vampire who killed so many people in so many horrible ways for so many years. I did so many terrible things... I brought pain and death to everyone on my path..." he said upset. "I can hear their voices, they call me a killer, they blame me for all I did to them, all of them..." he went on, holding his head in his hands as he tried to hold back the tears in his eyes.

"Well, well... it seems that someone has just got his soul back..." Angel smiled, getting closer to him to comfort him. "Don't worry, I know what it feels like ... and I'll help you get through it. Anyway, you didn't kill as many people as I did when I was Angelus, so I was much worse than you!" he said.

"Okay, maybe this way you help my soul, but you're insulting my demon!" the blond grumbled, rolling his eyes.

"Hey, speaking of demons..." Xander sneered, shifting into his new game face with great naturalness. "Mine is pretty hungry and you have such a yummy neck that pulses with all that blood..." he went on, looking threateningly at Angel, hurling towards him the second after, but as soon as he tried to sink his fangs into his neck, he stopped, rolling on the sand, victim of an excruciating pain. "Ouch! My brain, my poor brain!" the brunette vampire screamed, shifting back into his human visage.

"Well, it seems that someone just got a chip!" Spike chuckled, although he was still fighting against himself. "Anyway, if you are hungry, I got some blood in my car, come with me," Spike invited him, walking him towards his car, as Angel waved goodbye, ready to return to Los Angeles to tell the wonderful news to his Cordelia.

"Hey, why are you helping me?" Xander asked Spike in confusion.

"I really don't know why, let's call it solidarity between vamps, okay? Now, shut up and drink!" Spike said, handing him one of his blood bags.

"I can't believe it. I'm a vampire and I'm drinking blood!" Xander exclaimed, turning the bag in his hands.

"Actually... you're not!" Spike pointed out, looking at him.

"You're right. It's just that... it doesn't look very yummy," the other grumbled.

"I know, buddy, human blood is way better, but since I've gotten my soul back and you've gotten the chip I used to have in my head... that's all you can get, so take it or leave it!" he struck back, losing his already short patience.

Xander decided to 'take it', letting his fangs descend to sink them into the bag, emptying its content in a few seconds.

"See? It's not that bad after all!" the more expert vampire smiled at him, feeling oddly proud for making him feed. "Well, now I guess it's time for each one to return home. See you around, Whelp!" the bleached blonde waved, jumping on his car.

Xander walked towards his house, but he passed by the graveyard in the vicinity first. Buffy was patrolling just in that graveyard that night, and she noticed him there.

"Oh my God! So, you're back!" she exclaimed in a mix of surprise and joy.

"Oh, it's you..." he said, a whole lot less excited than her. "Well, I ran away, that's true, but it wasn't for too long. And to be honest... I didn't think you cared so much," he answered confused.

After hearing that Buffy slapped him.

"Stupid vampire! After all we've been through together... how do you dare to say that I don't care about you? Maybe I don't show you very often... okay, let's say that I almost never show you, I admit that, but you should know that I do care!" she struck back, almost crying.

"Ouch! Sorry, Buffy. Okay, you care, of course. Anyway, gee, you have immediately noticed that now I'm a vampire! Well, after all, you're the Slayer, of course you noticed that, it's just your job! Well, I hope you are not disappointed by that, you know... everything has happened so fast... I didn't even expect it! Plus, no matter how much I would like to, I can't kill humans because I got a chip stuck in my brain!" he explained, wondering why she w staring at him almost as if he came from Mars.

"Do you think you're even remotely funny telling me this stuff? Look, I don't know what kind of game you're playing, but I don't like it at all! You and I still have so much to talk about. What I said, what I did... I really didn't mean to..." she said, but he cut her off, starting to lose his patience.

"Whatever you want to tell me, I don't have the time to listen to you now. So, if you accidentally ate one of my donuts, or you took one of my videotapes without my permission... or whatever else... I understand and I forgive you. We are best friends as before, okay? Now, sorry, but I really gotta go, I have some more important matters to tend to, bye!" he answered, walking away, leaving her in the most total confusion.

(End I)

I don't know if it's already clear, maybe it's still too confusing... so I'd better explain a couple of things.

They didn't switch their bodies, just their roles and their identities. Xander is a vampire now... but still with Xander's features; Angel is human, but he still looks like Angel, and Spike's got his soul back, but he looks the same.

The problem is that due to their wish all the other people think that Spike has always looked like Xander, Xander looked like Angel and Angel looked like Spike.

I hope this is clearer, now. Anyway, chapter by chapter, you'll understand everything better, trust me!

Anyway.. pleease, leave a review, bad, positive, short , long.. whatever! I just need to know what you think so far.. pretty please..


	5. After The Wish II

Thank you so, so much, soccergirl2002uk, you're so very kind, really! I'm happy you like it so far.. ;)

After The Wish (II)

Although he was still puzzled by Buffy's way too exaggerate reaction and by her words, Xander headed towards his home, because he was sure that Anya would be there.

On his way, he had already thought about how he was going to apologize to her and give her the very big news at the same time.

He rang the bell and the girl rushed to open the door.

"Hi, honey, I'm back and I know that you are mad at me, and you have all the rights to be, but..." he trailed, but he couldn't figure out why she was staring at him so puzzled and disoriented.

"What the hell are you doing here? Gee, you must be drunk, very drunk, if you ended up here. This is not your home!" she made him notice, looking at him in disbelief.

"Okay, I see, it's pretty clear now. You're still mad at me, I can understand that. But you can't kick me out of my own house! So, now let me in!" he snapped.

"Do you really think I'm so stupid? You are a vampire and I know that without an invitation you can't get in!" Anya struck back challenging him with her gaze.

"Hey! How did you know that I'm a vampire now? Gee, is it so easy to notice it? I haven't even slipped into my game-face!" he grumbled, confused. "Anyway, okay, yes, I'm a vampire, that's true, but this is still my house, so I can get in without any invitation!" he stated, walking towards the threshold with a lot of self-confidence... just to be stopped by the invisible barrier that he'd smashed against.

"See? You can't and you never will. Now, really, I don't have time for your jokes and your drunken attitude. So, Spike, do a favour to the both of us and go away!" she rolled her eyes.

"What? What did you just call me?" he asked as his eyes went wide with bewilderment.

"Whatever you're trying to do, quit it, Spike; leave me alone, I've had a terrible day, really. I'm still waiting for Xander, he didn't come back... and now I'm starting to wonder if he ever will..." she sighed in resignation, shutting the door on his face.

Xander was stunned. He had the distinct feeling of being catapulted into a parallel dimension where nothing made sense. He knew that it was useless to come back and ring at the door again, trying to clear things up with Anya.

Now he just had to find shelter before sunrise, and there were no more than two hours left.

(In the meantime)

Buffy patrolled around the graveyard for a last time before heading home, although her mind was full of other thoughts.

-- What the hell is wrong with Spike? Why did he act as if he barely knew me... as if there was nothing going on between us? What are the more important matters he had to do so urgently? Arrrgh, my head is going to explode and that's all his damn fault! He's gotta hear me out now, whatever he likes or not...-- she decided, as she headed towards his crypt with large steps.

She saw the Desoto parked nearby and she rushed into the crypt, slamming the door open with a kick, as she always did.

"If you think that our discussion is over with what you told me before, you're so..." she snapped, raising her gaze, but when she met that pair of deep blue eyes that stared at her in wonder, she became speechless.

"Buffy! I knew that you would come, but I just didn't expect to see you so soon..." Spike exclaimed, wondering why she kept silent.

"So? Just tell me what the hell are you doing now... and mostly here ?" she asked him, nervously.

"What the hell are you... Oh, wait... of course! Now you're pissed off because your doggy didn't come to you, waving his tail happily, right after he came back into this town. Well, Buffy, let me give you some fresh news: the world does not turn around you!" he snapped.

"Stop talking nonsense! I saw the Desoto, so... I thought... Gee, by the way, why the hell do you have that car? It's not yours!" she struck back, mad at him, because he had confused... and mostly deluded her.

"What's wrong with the DeSoto now? You've always liked that car. Okay, you're right, she is not mine, I didn't really buy her, I just stole her ... after killing her former owner good and proper... poor innocent man, I'm so sorry for doing that, he didn't deserve such a horrible fate..." he grieved, but he managed to recover quickly. "Anyway, now she is mine, my DeSoto is a part of me..." he answered, although he didn't understand why she had changed subjects all of the sudden.

"Ah, ha, ha, what a funny guy we have here. Okay, you don't want to tell me why you have his car now? That's fine. But once and for all... what are you doing here? Gee... why the hell are you here? You are the last person I expected to see here again. To be honest... you're the last person I wanted to see!" she pointed out coldly.

"Alright, I got the message! Anyway, Slayer, my most sincere compliments, you surely know how to make a bloke feel welcome, don't you?" he commented sarcastically, growling against her.

Buffy jolted, narrowing her eyes.

"Hey! Wait a minute. You've never called me 'Slayer' before, and you have never talked to me using that tone. For God's sake, Angel, what's going on? What's wrong with you? You know that you can tell me..." she commented in deep concern, trying to approach him.

Spike's eyes almost popped out.

"What did you just dare to call me? Now I wonder what is wrong with you, Slayer!" he struck back, puzzled and shocked.

"Listen, Angel, it's late and I don't really want to talk. But I'll be back tomorrow and we'll clear things up. I promise, bye!" she informed him, before leaving.

Spike was still too confused and befuddled to go outside and chase after her.

There was less than an hour left to sunrise, so, as it's easy to imagine, Spike headed to his bed, although he hadn't managed to close his eyes and let sleep claim him. When all of the sudden, he heard someone knock on his door insistently.

TBC

I hope you'll still like it, please, show me if you do.. ;)


	6. Who Do You Think I Am?

here's the new part , sorry for late! ;)

This part should be fun.. (maybe not the beginning) ..at least I wish..

Chapter V: Who Do You Think I Am?

"Slayer, if you are already back, let me tell you that it's way too bloody soon!" he snapped.

"It's me, open up. I don't fancy the idea of being a pile of dust on my very first day of un-life!" Xander replied from the other side, opening the door and rushing in, without even letting Spike answer him back.

"It's a good thing that I don't need an invitation to enter a vampire's crypt!" the brunette commented.

Spike chuckled. "Well, Whelp, let me guess... you just experienced your first barrier, didn't you?" he figured.

"Yes, and there's nothing to laugh about! It's such a terrible feeling..." he grumbled.

"Believe me; I've been there, too, so I do know..." the bleached vampire murmured, thinking back to when Buffy had revoked his invitation to her house and then she had invited him again the night of the final battle against Glory.

"You know, it's not the barrier that upsets me, it's the fact that I went to see Anya and she thought I was... you! Can you believe that? I still can't..." he explained, making Spike curious. "Plus, I also met Buffy on my way to see Anya, and she acted so strangely..." Xander added.

"Why? What did she tell you?" the bleached blond asked him, even more curious.

"Well, she babbled about the fact that she didn't expect to see me again so soon, that she cares about me, although she said she doesn't show me much, and that's not true, because she does, she is such a good friend..." he went on.

"Anything else?" Spike asked him, eager to know more.

"Uhmm... yeah, she told me that she didn't really mean what she did and said..." the other answered.

Spike grinned happily.

"Why are you smiling now?" the brunette asked him, perplexed.

"Because Buffy came to see me, too, about one hour ago... and she was such a bitch to me, that's so bloody wonderful!" he laughed.

"Did you lose your mind? Are you really telling me that you are happy because she was a bitch to you?" Xander asked as he grew even more confused than before.

"Hell yeah, I'm happy. She thought that I was Angel! So... the things she said to you... well, those were meant for me!" he explained, unable to stop smiling. "Listen, Whelp, I don't know what the bloody hell is going on, all I know is that now everyone seems to think that you are me, that I'm Mr. Happy, so he most likely is being mistaken for..."

"Me." Xander realized.

"Yep. We have to wait for him to go back to L.A. and find the news out on his own, just as we did. And then we'll call him to come back here. Anyway, I know for sure that Buffy will return, so we'll make her believe just what she wants to believe... for now..." he explained.

"Ok, so what about now? Can I sleep here? Xander wondered.

"Well, why not? I'm sure that you'll find my sarcophagus pretty comfy. And before you ask, forget the bed, that's mine only!" Spike pointed out, as they both went downstairs to sleep.

------------------------------------------------------

It was afternoon and the two vampires were ready to face the new day, although they both had spent a mostly sleepless day.

Xander because he wasn't used yet to the fact that he was a vampire now and that he had to sleep on a sarcophagus.

Plus, Spike didn't help him at all.

He seemed to be able to deal with his soul when he was awake, but when he had gone sleep... it had been the worst moment ever. Because, as soon as he had closed his eyes, he had seen the faces of all the people he had killed, tortured and maimed for more than a century.

But now he felt the pain he had inflicted, twice, thrice, even one hundred times stronger.

He had spent all morning repeating 'I'm sorry' in his sleep, moaning and complaining in his tormented sleep, and that was one more reason more why Xander had had trouble sleeping.

Anyway, somehow they both had managed to get enough rest.

"Let me give you an advice, Whelp, don't stand there, at the centre..." Spike advised him and Xander moved towards a dark corner with him.

"Why?"

He just had the time to say that when the door slammed open and Buffy rushed in.

"That's why!" Spike rolled his eyes with a smirk.

"Ok, Angel, now I'm ready to talk..." Buffy said, looking at Spike, but then she also saw Xander by his side. "Oh, Spike, you are here, too!" she jolted.

"Of course, he's here, too. After all, this happens to be his crypt!" Spike snapped, since he didn't like one bit the way Buffy was looking at Xander, since that was the way she used to look at him.

"Well, well... you two together, sharing the same crypt, without telling anyone. What comes next? Flowers and candles? Walks hand in hand, eye in eye? Angel, Spike, do you have something to tell me?" she teased them.

"What? Hey! No, no, wait! It's not what you think. And anyway, that happened just once, more than a century ago and it won't ever happen again!" Spike explained.

"What!" Buffy and Xander asked with the same disgusted face.

"Spike, why are you so surprised?" Buffy asked in confusion, staring at Xander.

"Uh! Uhmm... it's because I had managed to bury that horrible memory, but now he has just brought it back. Angel , please, this is not the right moment to talk about that stuff!" he corrected himself.

"Yeah. You're right. So, Buffy, you wanna know why I am here, don't you? Well, it's due to an investigation... but it's kind of a secret ... so the less people that know about it is the better. And to avoid being noticed, I choose to stay here at Spike's crypt..." Spike justified, congratulating himself due to his brilliant and pretty credible explanation.

"Yes, he's my guest and he'll stay here for a while... a long while..." Xander followed his thread.

Spike decided that it was time for Buffy's naïve friend to finally know the truth, and that this was just the proper chance for it.

"Yes, so I'm sorry, Buffy, but for a while you won't be able to sneak here and have a good time with Spike, hiding it from everyone!" Spike commented.

"A... Angel! What... what are you blathering about?" Buffy asked him, very embarrassed.

"Yes, what?" Xander threw daggers at him with his eyes.

"Oh, c'mon, Buffy, do you really think that I didn't notice the way you look at him, the tension between you? Plus, I can smell him on you, you can't deny that!" Spike went on, questioning Buffy with his piercing look.

The oddest thing was that Spike really smelled Xander on Buffy, instead of himself... but judging by their roles' switch... it actually made sense.

"Anyway, yes, you're right, I can't fool you. It wouldn't be right. I know that you won't like it, but... yes... Spike and I have slept together... and more than once..." she admitted. "But that's none of your business!" she added dryly.

"Uhmm... you two slept together? Are you sure that's the proper word?" Spike teased her maliciously, passing the tip of his tongue on his upper teeth.

"You... pig!" Buffy snapped, amazing herself.

-- Pig? I've never ever called Angel 'pig'! And since when did he become so... unbearably cocky?-- she wondered.

In the meantime, Xander still had to recover from the shock after the unexpected news.

"What' When? How? Why? Buffy, how could you do such a thing? Did you lose your mind?" he scolded her.

Buffy threw daggers at him with his eyes. "Gee, Spike, if you think you're funny, believe me, you are not!" she snapped.

"Yeah, Spike , do us a favour, shut the hell up!" Spike made fun of him, enjoying that moment.

"You dirty bastard!" Xander snapped, but Buffy looked at him puzzled. "I mean, how did you dare ask such a private question? That's unfair," he justified.

"Whatever. At least, finally I know why you are here, Angel! And Spike, I'm sure we'll find a more proper time to talk... alone! Now I have to go, bye!" Buffy left the crypt in a rush.

"So, you... and she... " Xander commented, still having trouble to accept that discovery.

"I always said that that girl needs a little monster in her man, you know." Spike shrugged nonchalantly. "Before starting the thousands of insults you have ready for me, I have a question for you: do you feel love inside you, do you feel that you can still love?" Spike wondered.

"Yes, although I have no soul anymore... all my feelings are still here. That's odd, Giles always claimed that..."

"Whom do you believe now? A Watcher and his bloody diaries plenty of crap... or yourself?" Spike went on and he didn't even wait for the answer. "See? So, I love Buffy, I really do, as I bet that you have still feelings for your demon girl!"

"Her name is Anya! Of course I still love her and I want to win her back!" Xander growled fiercely.

"And that's exactly what we'll do. Everyone will win back his girl. We just have to wait for Angel, after all he must be arrived to LA by now. We'll just wait for a while and then I'll call him to come back here, so we will plan what to do together..." Spike suggested.

TBC

Next chapter is about Angel, at least the first part... are you ready?

I hope you'll like it, c'mon, please.. tell me something.. whatever!


	7. Figuring Out I

Sorry for late, here's the new part:

Chapter VI: Figuring Out.

(In the meantime)

Angel was so eager to give the good news to Cordelia that he was almost tempted to smash his car against the wall just so he didn't have to waste time parking it. But since now he was human, he decided that it was pretty stupid to risk his shiny new life in such an idiotic way and that maybe he could spend a couple more minutes on the parking.

As soon as he got off the car though, he ran fast towards the stairs of his agency, all the while enjoying the slightly out of breath sensation he experienced when he finally got to the front door.

Since the door was open, he entered to the agency and Harmony walked towards him, ready to accomplish her secretarial duty.

"Hi. Well... why are you here?" she exclaimed, looking at him astonished.

-- Why am I here? D'oh. Maybe because I'm the Boss and this agency is mine? Gee, she gets worse and worse, day after day, I should fire her... -- Angel thought, rolling his eyes.

"I'll pretend that I didn't listen to your stupid question. Anyway, where is Cordy?" he wondered.

"Geez! Okay, I know that the last time we met we tried to kill each other, but that's not a good enough reason to be so cold and unpleasant with me. Not even a 'Hi, I'm glad to see you, you look just wonderful!' After all, it's been a while since our last meeting!" she grumbled, while Angel looked at her as she had sprouted a second head since he had no idea what the hell she was babbling about.

"I'll pretend that I haven't heard that either! What about Cordy?" he struck back, starting to lose his usual patience.

"Why do you want to see her? This is a bad moment for her. Angel left without a trace and she is very concerned about him..." Harmony explained.

-- Since when does this blonde bimbo talks about me in third person? Whatever, let's please her!-- he thought, exasperated.

"Well, maybe Angel can make things right now... " he replied.

"I wonder what you mean..." Harmony thought out loud, but Angel wasn't even listening to her anymore, because Cordelia had just got in the room.

"Hi, Cordy, I'm sorry if I left without warning you, but I needed some time on my own. But now I'm back!" he explained with a smile.

"Do you really think I care?" she answered, looking at him in disbelief.

"Okay, you're still angry. Got it. Anyway, I'm going to cheer you up with what I'm gonna say: I am human now!" he exulted.

She snorted while rolling her eyes.

"Surprise, surprise! Well, if you came all the way from Sunnydale just to tell me that... gee, you are even more pathetic than I thought you were when we were in High School!" she said, confusing him a lot with that answer.

"What? Maybe you didn't understand. Now we can do whatever we want, we can be together, so..." he tried to explain again, but she cut him off.

"There's nothing that I want to do with you, not after what happened that day at the abandoned warehouse... when I almost risked dying!" she said, as he was lost in the most total confusion.

In the meantime, Wesley and Gun had joined them.

"Hi, well, I didn't expect to see you here. Just tell us, did something bad happen?" the former Watcher asked concerned.

"What? Why do you all keep asking me what I'm doing here? Did you forget who your Boss is?" Angel snapped, losing all of what was left of his patience. If he had still been a vampire, he would have growled in frustration.

"Sure, we know. After all, with all that bleached hair it's impossible not to recognize him!" Wesley commented.

-- Bleached hair? Oh my, no, no... it can't be him!-- Angel thought as a doubt started forming in his mind.

"Wesley, if I'm not wrong, there's a picture of all of you together that you took after a very important mission..." he trailed.

"Well, I think the definite defeat of the Wolfram&Hart is more than an important mission!" Wesley corrected him.

"Yeah, no more hellish layers with their hellish demonic customers!" Gunn added.

"Yeah, that's right. Anyway, can I see the picture?" Angel wondered.

Yes. No matter how weird it sounds, although a vampire's image couldn't be reflected in a mirror, it could be captured by a camera or a video camera. And Angel remembered very well that picture with his gang.

A little bit puzzled by his request, Wesley pleased him, coming back with the picture he wanted.

When Angel saw it, his doubt was confirmed: there were Gunn, Lorne, Wesley, Harmony, Cordelia... but instead of Angel... it was Spike the one that appeared on the picture!

In that exact moment the phone rang.

"Angel Investigations, how can I help you?" Cordelia answered.

"Hi, it's me..." Spike said from the other end, since he had decided that he had waited long enough and it was time to act.

"Angel, honey, where are you? Are you okay?" she asked with a very sugary attitude and that pissed Angel off.

"Don't worry, I'm fine, I had my reasons to go. Anyway, I didn't call you to chat. Can I speak to Xander? I know that he's there..."

"Oh! Okay, hold on..." she answered, a little bit disappointed by his coldness. "Hey, Xander, Angel wants to talk with you!" Cordelia called him out, giving him the receiver.

--How did she just call me?-- he thought, grabbing the receiver.

"Hello?"

"Hello, Peaches!" Spike exclaimed.

"You know, no matter how much I hate that nickname, I'm so glad that you just called me that!" Angel confessed.

"I know. As you probably have already noticed, everyone is acting bloody weird lately, and we need you back so we can figure how this happened. We'll meet at my crypt. Don't tell any one of your LA gang, believe me, no one there will give a fuck if you come back here or go wherever else you want anyway!" Spike instructed him, hanging up without giving him the time to answer.

Angel decided to follow his advice.

"Well, guys, I just came here to say hi, but since I see that you all are pretty busy, I guess I'll go back home..." Angel told them.

"Yes, Xander, sorry, but I think that's for the best. Now we really don't have the time to welcome you properly. At the moment I'm going crazy researching about the eclipse of two nights ago; I don't know if you saw it, since it was very short. Anyway, I don't think it's just a simple meteorological phenomenon, mostly because no one had mentioned it before, no one saw it coming. So, there must be more to it," Wesley commented as he walked Angel towards the door.

Angel pretended not to care about that, but Wesley's words made him think... a lot.

(End I)

I hope you'll like it, but I'm not very sure about that.. :( so.. please show me if you do ;)


	8. Figuring Out II

Figuring Out (II)

SUNNYDALE

Angel returned to Sunnydale that same night, and he headed towards Spike's crypt, where he found him with Xander.

"Oh, please tell me that you two have figured what the hell is going on, because I don't have the slightest idea!" he exclaimed exasperatedly.

"Well, buddy, all I really know is that ever since that fateful night everyone is bloody sure that I am you, you are the Whelp and the Whelp is me!"

"Replace 'the Whelp' with 'Xander' and I'll agree perfectly with Spike's answer!" Xander snorted.

"Anyway, I suggest we should do some research on the strange eclipse of that night, because I think, no, I'm practically sure that that would provide us with more answers!" Angel said.

"Alright, but... how can we do that? Giles keeps all of his precious books at the Magic Box and believe me, it doesn't matter if now he's gone back to London, because Anya is very protective of the shop. There's absolutely no way we could sneak past her," Xander warned them.

"Well, what's the problem? We don't need any sodding dusty books. We'll use the computer at UC Sunnydale. That tool helped me once to find out where her room was when I still wanted to kill her, you know, right before finding out that I had the sodding chip in my head. Well, what can I say? Those were good old times between former mortal enemies..." Spike sneered, as the other two nodded, approving his idea.

No sooner said than done. After less than a quarter of an hour they had already arrived to the college campus and had ably sneaked through a window to get into the Admissions' Office, and now Spike was already navigating through the web, resorting to Google to find all the information they needed.

After a while, they found the answers they were looking for.

"The Ninth Eclipse: it happens every nine centuries, nine years, nine months and nine days..." Spike began reading outloud. "Gee, I guess that now I understand why they called it 'The Ninth Eclipse'!" he added immediately after, rolling his eyes.

"Okay, tell us more..." Xander incited him.

"Let's see... uhmm..." Spike jumped some paragraphs with the cursor, until he found an important part, underlining it and turning it into bigger characters.

"Here it is: 'Although no one has proved it yet, it seems that the Ninth Eclipse has some magic abilities, such as to turn people's desires into reality, but it isn't that simple, since for it to work two people or more have to wish the same thing at the same time, without even being aware of what they're doing, so it's pretty muchimpossible..." Angel continued reading..

"Well, not for us. So that's what happened. We wished to switch our existences... so it's not that everyone see us as someone else... we actually became someone else !" the former vampire commented.

"Well, we just have to wait for the next eclipse in more than nine hundred years to take back our wish, then!" Spike commented sarcastically, but then he became more serious. "I only have one more question. If now I am you... this odd sort of affection I feel for the Whelp who now is me... must be..." Spike began saying, looking at Angel.

"Yes, Spike, that's the Grand Sire/Grand Childe bond..." Angel smiled at him.

"So, that means that... you also feel that way ... for me?" the bleached blond dared to ask.

"Yes, and I still do. You are an unbearable cocky annoying irritant pain in the ass... but truth is that I happen to care about you, I always did. Although sometimes I hate you!"

"So... even when you were Angelus..." the blond trailed.

"Always," Angel answered.

"Even when you turned into Soul Boy?"

"Always."

"Even when..."

"I said always !" he anticipated him.

"Well, thank you... Sire," Spike murmured.

Technically, Drusilla was his Sire, but his real teacher of all things un-life had been Angelus, and no matter if now he wasn't a vampire anymore, it was as if there still was the same bond between them. So, all in all, he was his Sire.

"Well, well, well. This sweet moment between you just reminded me of something that Spike told me before. You two... together? When? How? But mostly... why?" Xander asked them, curious as never.

"Bruxelles, 1883. I was young and willing to experience... anything. He was pervert and wicked. End of the story!" Spike explained in a rush. "Anyway, I repeat it bloody happened only once!" he pointed out.

"Actually... it happened twice!" Angel corrected him.

"Twice!" Spike and Xander asked in unison, with the same shock reflected on their faces.

"Copenhagen, 1885. Darla and Dru were on a trip on their own, you were drunk... and the pervert wicked guy was bored and wanted to have some fun. Maybe Angelus is proud of that but I'm certainly not," Angel explained.

"What? When did we go to Copenhagen!" Spike wondered in pure astonishment.

"Gee, Boy, you did were definitely too drunk if you don't even remember that we've went there, too!" Angel laughed.

Spike turned to Xander, looking at him puzzled.

"Hey, Whelp, why were you so bloody eager to know that stuff?" he asked him.

"Uh! Well... I don't know... it's just my demon. I guess it has a worrying, degrading pervert curiosity!" Xander grumbled in deep concern.

"Whatever, all I know for sure is that from now on you gotta find a new crypt, forget I will share mine with you again!" Spike snapped, looking at him with diffidence and keeping his distance.

TBC

Author's Note: I apologize for the tiny hint to 'spangel'. I hope it won't scandalize you, mostly because there's nothing graphic (I would never dare that much!). I just tried to put it in a ironic and funny way.

Anyway, on fantasy stories, spangel makes me sick just at the thought. But when it's about Buffyverse... maybe I'm crazy but it has something charming, maybe because somehow that reminds me of Anna Rice's stuff, at least this is my opinion.

Anyway, I apologize again.

About the movie... the eclipse stuff is just my invention, at least I tried somehow to explain how their wish came true... in the movie there's no explanation, it just happens, lol! ;)

I hope someone likes this story.. but I'm not very sure about it.. whatever! ;)


	9. Walk in my shoes!

I apologize for this huge late, but since I was punished for some violations (?) on the forum ( To be honest, for whoever who read them, was 'Wanted ' really a fic of explicit content? I mean, there are more graphic and sexual fics around! And about 'Bit by bit ' that story was MINE, PANDORA is my firend and she agreed ( just like Sara did for 'Voices in the Night ) , so I was double allowed to post it here. About the songs I apologize, I didn't know that we can't use any lyrics, so I guess I'll have some trouble with the chapters related to some song… for every of my fics..

But the administrator has the right to decide whatever she please, I would just liked to be warned before remove my fics.. whatever:-O

Anyway, now let's keep this story ;)

Chapter VII : Walk In My Shoes

"So, now what can we do?" Xander changed subject.

"Well, since we switched our roles, I guess that the only thing left to do is to take our new roles in stride..." Angel started suggesting, but Spike cut him off.

"What! Listen, I don't want to make moon eyes to your secretary and be a bloody detective in your bloody agency!" the blond snapped.

"You'd better not even dare to make moon eyes to my Cordy!" Angel snapped. "That's not what I meant. Do you think that I want to stay with a woman I don't even know and work for a construction company when I don't even know how to build a house out of cards?" he went on.

"No way, because she happens to be my woman and that happens to be my job!" Xander pointed out with a growl. "And what am I would supposed to be doing? Stalk Buffy and hang around pretending that I'm still the Big Bad?" the brunette vampire added.

"First of all, Buffy is mine . And second, I don't bloody pretend, I'm still the Big Bad for real, even if I got my soul back, even if I want to help people, even if I'm seeking redemption and forgiveness for all the horrible things I did... although I don't deserve happiness and I can't be forgiven, even if..." Spike explained, starting to grieve for his past misgivings.

"Oh, yes, that's how every Big Bad talks!" Xander made fun of him and Spike got pissed off, which in turn made him snap out of his brooding.

"Thank you, Whelp, you've always known how to challenge my demon!" he sneered.

"It's my duty, Grand Sire!" the younger vampire smiled, and both of them felt a strange feeling at the sound of that word.

"Anyway, I suggest we accept our new roles, but with some changes..." Angel resumed talking.

"Such as?" Spike wondered.

"First of all, I'll go back to LA and since I've already been there as Xander, you'll tell my gang that I'm there because you chose me as your new collaborator, and also gave me the leadership while you are here at Sunnydale due to an important, secret and very long mission..." Angel concluded.

"That's brilliant; it seems that your human brain works much better than your vampire one!" Spike commented with a smirk.

"I planned things perfectly even when I was a vampire!" the other struck back, a little bit insulted.

"If you did, the world would've been over for years now! Let me remind you of one of your dear friends called Acathla ! Well, it wasn't your fault, after all you had my Slayer and especially me against you!" the blond sneered.

"First, that was Angelus, it's different, and second... shut up!" the other snapped.

"Ok, anyway, how would you deal with the agency stuff now that you are human?" Spike wondered, getting concerned, and that seemed to please Angel.

"Well, Boy, now I'm human, that's true, but my body is strong enough to face a fight and I've been practicing for more than two centuries, so that's given me a lot of experience and that can be a great help," he explained.

"Yes, but what about me? Who will do my job? If Xander goes to L.A.?" Xander wondered.

"You'll do your job!" Angel answered.

"How?"

"Listen, you're the foreman there, aren't you?" Angel wondered.

"Yes, I am, I mean, I was, I mean... now you are... I think that my head is going to explode!" Xander growled, holding his forehead with his hands.

"Lucky you, mine already did!" Spike rolled his eyes, massaging his temples.

"That's right, and do you know what a foreman does? He takes decisions. And my decision would be that my dear old friend Spike , who by the way is an expert in construction and can be my perfect substitute, could be left in charge of your job, but due to an odd allergy to the sun he can only work after sunset. Maybe you could divide your workers in two teams and make them work at night with alternate schedules... what do you think?" Angel raised his eyebrow.

"I think that you are a genius!" Xander clapped his hands.

"So, I'll pretend to investigate and stay here to help Buffy... and maybe train you a little bit," Spike suggested, turning to Xander.

"Would you do that? Really? Why?" Xander asked him astonished.

"Well, since you became me... I don't want people to think that Spike is a clumsy fledgling. I'm gonna make you fight in an acceptable way!" the blond struck back.

"It's kinda late now, I guess I'll go back to my flat!" Angel told them.

"Yes, and since sunrise is near and I'm not needed here anymore, I 'm gonna go look for another crypt... unless that was just something you said as a joke," Xander commented, turning to Spike, but the bleached vampire's icy look gave Xander the answer. "No, it wasn't..." the brunette vampire grumbled, rolling his eyes and approaching the exit with Angel.

"Ok, guys, we'll meet here tomorrow, at sunset. You know, there's still something that we have to do..." Spike warned them.

"Yes, and it will be the hardest thing..." Angel added.

"You're right, guys..." Xander nodded. "What are we talking about, anyway?" he wondered five seconds later, looking at them puzzled.

"Hello? We have three girlfriends we don't want... well, Buffy isn't technically my girlfriend, but..."

"But you two have slept together and more than once, we know... well... I do. Oops!" Xander exclaimed, closing his mouth with his hand and turning to Angel. And then he narrowed his eyes. "Hey, wait, why aren't you freaking out?" he asked him.

"Because I already knew it, I smelled her on him that night at the beach, right before our wish, you know..." Angel explained.

"And you are okay with it?" Xander and Spike asked him in unison, both of them astonished.

"All I know is that since I left Sunnydale, Buffy has been with a perverted playboy who used her as his personal toy and an unbearable soldier with too many ambitions. And that they both broke her heart... just like I did. At least, it seems that Spike doesn't hurt her... so yeah, I'm okay with it!" Angel explained quickly.

"Yes, I don't hurt her, but she hurts me, and I don't mean just physically!" Spike clarified. "Anyway, tomorrow we'll plan the perfect way to dump them in order to pick the right girl for each of us..." he went on.

"Wait. Why don't we simply tell them the truth?" Xander suggested.

"I think they wouldn't believe us, no one would. I guess they'll need some time..." Angel replied.

"Yes, plus it's gonna be a real challenge: to conquer them again. So, if they recognize us even with our new roles on their own, without any of us telling them anything... well, that will be a proof of real love..." Spike made him notice. "No matter what, even if she has never told me... in the end I know that Buffy loves me... or at least that she feels for me something that is very close to love," he added.

TBC

Next very long chapter's title is 'Multiple Break-Up', I guess you all have already figured out what it's going to be about ;)

Now, not only I'm gonna update very of my ffs, but I'm also going to start a 'new ' one ( if you never read it so far!)


	10. Multiple Break Up I

Well what can I say about this chapter? First of all, it will be divided in three parts that symbolize the three 'break-ups'. From the boys' POV it will be kind of fun due to some mistakes, misunderstanding and awkward situations… but from the girls' POV it will be pretty angst, but since they are fake couples.. it can't be called proper angst.. can it?

Chapter VIII: Multiple Break-Up

The sun had already set for a while and among tons of cigarettes, Spike was waiting for the other two to come.

Around 11 p.m. Xander showed up with a showy black eye plus some bruises that were already healing.

"What happened to you, Whelp?"

"Well, you know, I found a very nice crypt just in time, I slept until sunset and then I decided to go to Willie's as you always do.. damn my decision! I was drinking, when a bunch of demons teased me, calling me 'the traitor Slayer-Layer' and then they started punching me and beating me down. I managed to escape soon and I guess that they'll still be beating each other down thinking that it's me! So.. ouch.. is this your ordinary existence?" Xander asked him, massaging his black eye with his hand and enjoying the cold.

"Yep, pretty much, but it's gonna change for all of us!" Spike confirmed. "Anyway, I really gotta begin training you, you can't act like a coward, not when you wear my name out!" he added as they both saw Angel coming from afar.

"About time, too, Peaches!" Spike snapped.

"Sorry, but you know.. I was enjoying my humanity. I went outside, took a walk into sunlight, all day long, and then, when I came back home at sunset, I fell asleep on my couch. Me, sleeping at sunset, can you believe that?" he exulted. "Anyway, when I woke up I rushed here!" he added.

"Ok, so, before I go, do you want to tell me something particular about your girl, in order to break up with her good and proper?" Spike questioned him.

"Yes, if you make her leave you, her pride will be safe, so I hope she'll suffer less. Plus, she doesn't like nicknames very much, except for 'baby' or 'honey', so try to avoid your usual stuff with her!" Angel advised him.

"Ok, I'll do. Now, give me your car key!" the blond exhorted him.

"What?"

"Hello? I can't drive my DeSoto anymore. Buffy already made a fuss about that! So, you gotta give me your car, from now on. You'll have the Whelp's one and he will get.. mine!" Spike gulped down heavily. "Scratch her.. and I'll scratch your heart.. with a stake!" he threatened him, giving him the car key.

"I'd rather walk for a mile than use that.. thing!" Xander snapped, putting the key in his pocket as he gave the ones of his car to Angel.

Spike just growled at him, more pissed off than before.

Before changing their cars, the bleached blond had had the good idea of taking the paper with Buffy's scribble and put it inside the pocket of his red shirt. Yeah, because, although they had switched their roles, their outfit was something that they all couldn't give up to. And since Angel and Spike's leather coats were pretty similar, Spike had kept his one, there's always a limit for everything!

"Well, so now I'm supposed to go break up with Enya.." Angel mumbled.

"It's Anya ! And you have no idea about how sensible she is about her name, so , please, keep in mind!" Xander warned him.

"Well, it's a difficult name to remember.." Angel justified, leaving.

"It's not that I asked him to call her with her full name. I can tell that Anya Christina Emanuella Jenkins is kinda difficult to keep in mind, but not just.. Anya!" Xander thought out loud, before heading towards the main graveyard, where he was sure that he would meet Buffy.

-- Gee, I forgot asking Spike.. how does he always call Buffy? I just know that it's a small animal, but I don't remember which one.. whatever, I'll recall it soon or later!-- he thought on his way.

(In the meantime)

Once he reached his destination, after taking a long breath that now he needed for real, Angel decided to knock on Anya's door. As soon as the girl opened the door, it took just and only one second for Anya to pass from resignation, to surprise, to happened, to anger.

"Do you have the slightest idea about what you put me through?" she snapped.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to make you worry.." he attempted to justify.

"Well if you didn't, you shouldn't' have done that, because disappearing for almost a whole week makes people who care about you worry and a lot!" she struck back, as he got in without needing any invitation, and that was something that he hadn't been allowed to do for more than two centuries.

"Anyway, I'm glad that you're back!" she admitted with a soft smile.

"You should better wait for me to talk, before saying that you are happy.." Angel warned her.

"Why?" she narrowed her eyes.

"Because it's not a good news. I've been thinking a lot and I realized that we are not meant to be together!" he explained.

"WHAT?" she rumbled.

"Ok, now you're human, but that's not enough, you were a demon and that make us too different.. " he went on, knowing that that kind of speech was utterly useless.

"This is just a bunch of lame excuses, you never minded about that!" she made him notice.

"Ok, you're right, it was an excuse. But I don't want to stay with you anymore, because.. you can have better, you deserve better, I'm just a human without any big ability, I can't protect you the way you want, the way you need.." he went on, having the certainty that he was pushing the right buttons this time.

"But that's not so important…" she protested.

"You know that you're lying and even if I believed you and we came back together it would last only for a bunch of days and then we would end up breaking up once again due to the same reason. Look at me and tell me if I'm wrong!" he challenged her.

Anya faced his look, but then she lowered her gaze.

"You're right, but to argue is not so bad. After all every couple does, it just makes sex better once they make up!" she struck back.

Angel looked at her stunned, he had never met such a frank girl.

"Uh, well.. not that kind of argue. It's about a too important matter. I guess you need someone else, someone stronger who can give you safety.. I don't know.. someone like Spike!" he suggested her with nonchalance.

"Are you drunk? Why just Spike? And mostly.. why do you want to dump me out of the blue?" she snapped.

"Spike was just a casual example. And anyway, I'm not dumping you, I want us to break up together, without any disappointment or regrets. After all, we have not such an important relationship, so.."

"No serious relationship? Xander, we've been together for more than three years , so does it mean anything to you?" she barked.

-- Gee, Angel, you're an idiot! Xander had even talked about an engagement ring. They do have a serious relationship.. how did that come out of my mouth?-- the former vampire scolded himself.

"No, wait, I'm sorry, maybe I chose the wrong words to say what I wanted to say, Anne.." he apologized, but he just put himself into a bigger trouble.

"You confused my name with another one. So, there's another girl, confess.. you, you cheater!" she accused him, but then she came to another important conclusion. "Wait a minute, Anne is Buffy's middle name! So according to a man called Sigmund Freud .. you're thinking of her right now!" she snapped, furiously.

"Why do you all people keep thinking that?" Angel snorted forgetting whom she believed he was.

"What does it mean that I'm not the only one who thinks that? So, it's true. You want to leave me for her.." she figured out, enraged.

"No, Anya, please, calm down. There's a misunderstanding, I don't want to stay with her.."

He had remembered her name, but it was too late.

"But you don't want to stay with me, either and I don't want to stay with you, I don't wanna even see you anymore. Go away, you.. nothing but a heartbreaker !" she yelled at him, starting to throw at him all the stuff that came in hand, from a plate, to a vase, to a lamp, as he avoided every object with unbelievable agility, approaching to the exit.

"If you don't want to see me anymore, I guess you'll be glad to know that I'm moving to Los Angel to help Angel and his agency.." he warned her, before running away as fast as possible, before finding out how painful a phone smashed on his human head could be.

(End I)

In the next part Xander will 'break up' with Buffy.. are you ready?

I hope someone will like it, but thanks for reading anyway.. I would just like to know what you think so far (even bad opinions.. whatever!)


	11. Multiple Break Up II

Multiple Break-Up (II)

(In the meantime)

Xander had already been at the graveyard for a while, but he hadn't seen Buffy yet, although he knew that she was there for sure, because he could feel her presence.

"Well, well, we're finally alone!" Buffy appeared at his back, surprising and making him jolt.

"Gee, Spike, you're getting sloppy!" she made fun of him, and then she looked at him better, chuckling. "Confess, did you have trouble with your laundry again?" she teased him, pointing at his bright yellow Hawaiian shirt.

"Ha, ha, Miss Funny! Anyway, no, no mistakes, I'm wearing it on purpose!" he pointed out.

"Why? Did you lose a bet?" she struck back, as she kept chuckling.

His growled at her, insulted.

"I was sick of my usual clothes and I happen to like Xander's style, that guy really knows how to dress... although it seems that I'm the only one who's noticed that!" he responded. "Anyway, you're not here just to talk about my clothes, are you... puppy?" he added immediately after.

"Right..." she said, a little bit confused with the new nickname he'd called her with.

-- Gee, it seems that wasn't the right nickname!-- Xander thought.

"Actually I'm glad I found you here. You know, lately your crypt seems to be a little too crowded for my taste..." she rolled her eyes.

"Huh?" he looked at her perplexed.

"Angel!" she clarified.

"Sure, of course, Angel... well, you know, he's acting almost as if the crypt was his, that's why I gave it to him and I went out to find a new one for me."

"And did you find it?" she asked curious.

"Yes, I did."

"So, can we go there now, hmm?" the blonde suggested, but she was astonished when she saw him shake his head.

"It's not that easy, doggy," he told her, cursing himself for picking up the wrong nickname again, judging by the daggers she was throwing at him with her eyes.

"I mean, you know... I haven't forgotten what you said to me the last time we were together..." he went on.

-- And it's not an easy thing to do, since I didn't even ever listen to that speech, but I can imagine how it went, at least I hope I do...-- the brunette thought.

"Well, I knoe what I said, but I didn't really mean it. Plus, now you're back and I'm drawn to you once again, damn your sinister attraction!" she murmured, approaching him dangerously.

"You are... you are kidding, right?" he grumbled, backing off cautiously.

"What do you think?" she struck back languidly, passing the tip of her tongue over her upper lip and dragging him towards her body by grabbing him by the lapel of his shirt. But before she could kiss him, he promptly put his hand over her mouth.

-- Note to self: after a patrol night, Buffy seems to get extremely lustful, so I'd better keep my distance!--he thought, backing off again.

"No, bird, you meant everything that you said and you were right, we can't be together, we belong to two very different worlds. Plus, I don't have a soul, so I'm evil and that's not right for you..."

Buffy snapped off her 'sensual temptress' mode and resumed being her same old self.

"What? You never surrender and now you're giving up so easily, without even trying one last time? That's not the Spike I know!" she exclaimed.

"And I couldn't agree more, wolf-cub!" he confirmed.

-- Gee, it wasn't that one either! What the hell does he always call her? I give up, I'll just stick to 'Buffy' or 'baby' and stuff like that!-- he decided, rolling his eyes.

All of the sudden a suspicion hit Buffy.

"It's because of Angel, isn't it?" she wondered.

"What? If you're hinting about our wild, wild past, I already told you that..."

"Eewww, no, not that, I meant the fact that he's here, he stayed with you for a while, so maybe he must have brainwashed you, warning you about leaving me for my own good and damned stuff like that!" she figured out.

"Huh! Well, yes and no. I mean, yes, it's about Angel, but no, he told me nothing. I finally realized that he and you are meant to be together; because he's the right guy for you, because he has his soul. And I can't do anything about that, so I'll just give up and... let you free," he explained.

Buffy looked at him icily.

"You're just like all the others!" she hissed. "You know, my Watcher, my friends, everyone always tries to push me into what they think is the right direction. They tell me what I should do and what I shouldn't. You were the only one who didn't do that, the only one who didn't suffocate me, the only one who put the fire back in me. But now I realize that it was nothing more than an illusion, a big illusion that lasted for some years," she went on, with teary eyes.

Xander realized that he had to change tactics and soon.

"Oh, please, don't you even dare to cry now; it would be such a sissy thing to do! What did you expected from me? I'm a demon, I have no feelings, I just tried to, but it didn't work. What the hell was I thinking then? Me, the Big Bad with a Slayer? It couldn't last and I'm sick of ruining my reputation! Anyway, it was very good while it lasted and we had fun together, but now it's over. We can still be friends... or mortal enemies, whatever you like!" he said, as cockily as he could.

"You... you tricked me. You fooled me! I hate you and this time I swear that it's really fucking over! Go find a demon girl to have some fun with, I just couldn't care less. But you better stay the hell away from me!" she snapped, and Xander followed her advice, running away resorting to his super natural speed, before experiencing how painful and mostly lethal a stake plunged into his unbetaing heart could be.

(End II)

And now it's Spike and Cordy's turn... are you ready? ;)

I hope you'll like it..


	12. Multiple Break Up III

Thank you so much, spbangel, I'm sooo glad you like even this one! I adore you, you are always so kind!

Multiple Break-Up (III)

TWO DAYS LATER

LOS ANGELES

Spike got out of Angel's car, thinking that it was nothing like his beloved DeSoto and got ready to play his part, heading towards Angel's office as he recalled in his mind what he was supposed to say and what not.

He had already warned everyone about his return with a phone call, so he knew that they were waiting for him.

In fact, Harmony came to greet him by the door.

"Welcome back, Boss, so you've been at Sunnydale. How is my brownie bear? I miss him so much..." the blonde vampiress said with a melancholic attitude.

After a very quick reasoning, Spike realized that she was talking about him.

"Well, Harm, he's fine, but he didn't ask about you and he certainly does not miss you!" he snapped and she turned her back at him, insulted, raising her long smooth hair with a hand and leaving.

Cordelia got into the room, the sweetest smile ever gracing her face, and it was just and only for him.

"Finally, you're back!" she exclaimed.

The others decided to leave them alone and resumed doing what they were doing before.

Cordelia looked at him better and her face darkened.

"Eeeww, why are you dressed like that? What happened to the nice dark grey cashmere sweater that I bought for you?" she wondered.

"Uh. Well, I got rid of it!" he shrugged.

"What? You got rid of my gift? I thought that you'd liked it!" she protested, insulted.

"Well, you thought wrong. I think that this style fits me better, black and red are definitely my colours!" he struck back. "Anyway, believe me, sweetheart, you won't be mad at me just because of that stupid sweater!" he warned her.

-- Bloody idiot, you just used a nickname! -- he scolded himself, realizing that the girl was glaring at him.

"What do you mean?" she questioned him.

"I think that you are just wasting your time with me. I'm only a vampire; you can do so much better. You need a human guy with whom you can do all the things you desire," he went on.

Cordelia's eyes went wide as she recalled the private speech she'd had with Harmony.

"You heard us talking, didn't you?" she asked him, but he looked at her confused, not understanding what she was talking about.

"Xander, for example, could be the right guy for you," he suggested.

"What? Since when do you choose with whom I should be with?" she got angry. "Plus, why Xander of all the male human kind? Don't you remember what he put me through, after that day at the warehouse? When I found him and Willow kissing..." she explained.

-- So Red and the Whelp found a nice way to spend the time together when I kidnapped them. Ah, those were the golden days. Well, not so golden, after all I was desperate due to Dru back on those days, but at least all that stuff led me to Buffy...-- he thought and then he realized that Cordelia was still waiting for his answer.

"Well, the past is in the past, people can change..." he struck back.

"Yes, and I see that you changed a lot. What happened?" she wondered and then realization hit her.

"It's because of Buffy, isn't it? You saw her for a couple of days and now you're acting all weird. You still think about her, don't you dare deny that!" she accused him.

"Yes, you're right, I can't deny that. I can't love you. I tried, but truth is that Buffy is all I think about, she is in my mind, in my heart, in my blood, I'm drowning in her, I really do..." he answered, so overtaken by the moment that he forgot the role he was playing.

"And you even dare to tell me that way! Gee, I thought that Angelus was the bastard but now I realize that you are even worse than him! I don't wanna hear from you anymore! I'm gonna quit working here, I can't even stand to see you!" she snapped, ready to leave, but Spike stopped her, grabbing her arm.

"Don't even dare to touch me!" she yelled at him.

"Cordy, I just wanted to tell you that you don't have to quit working here, it wouldn't be fair, not after all you've done for this agency. Plus, I'm the one who's gotta leave for a while, a very long while. After all, I know you and the rest of the guys will do a great job even without me. Plus, I already asked Xander to come here to replace me, believe me, he will be very helpful, he's not the Whelp you used to know anymore, I can swear that!" he explained, letting her go.

"Fine. I don't give a damn about who the hell will take your place, I just want you to disappear!" she hissed.

"I will in a heartbeat, bird..."

-- Bloody hell! So, confess, dude, you have a worrying death wish. Didn't you piss her off enough already? -- Spike thought, biting his tongue to punish himself, without using his fangs, but it was very painful anyway.

Cordelia was staring at him with fire in her eyes.

"Just thought I should tell you in person about this and about Xander. I'm sorry, really sorry, if things between us didn't work, but I'm not the right one for you. I wish you to can find the happiness that you can't have with me..." he said, approaching the exit, before crossing the threshold and closing the door just a second before Cordelia threw the phone from her desk against the door.

Once she was alone, the brunette girl was free to put her pride aside and allow herself to cry good and proper.

"Oh my, Cordy, what happened? Where's Angel now?" Wesley came to her, a few minutes after, hugging her to comfort her as the good friend he was to her.

"I don't know and to be honest I don't even care. He can go straight to Hell!" she snapped, as Wesley looked at her puzzled. "Anyway, he said that he'll send here a substitute, and it's someone we already know..." she added immediately after, a little bit calmer.

TBC

I hope you'll like it, I promise it will be funnier later.. just be patient ;)


	13. Broken Hearts I

Disclaimer . lyrics taken from the song 'Scattered ' by Greenday

Chapter IX: Broken Hearts (Lyrics from 'Scattered' by the amazing Green Day, who are practically equal the Good Charlotte as my inspiration muses, lol!)

2 DAYS LATER

As soon as Spike returned to Sunnydale and after mowing down the Welcome to Sunnydale sign (no matter if the car was different, its owner habits weren't different at all!), he met the others at Angel's flat.

"So, how did it go?" the blond asked them.

"Well, I dealt with Buffy, so now she hates you, are you happy?" Xander exclaimed.

"Wait a minute. Do you mean that now she hates me... as Spike... or as Angel?" Spike wondered as tons of doubts assaulted him.

"Uh, sorry, I meant you as Spike... gee, this whole thing is driving me crazy!" the brunette vampire grumbled.

"Me, too!" Spike and Angel replied at unison.

"Well, I talked with Anya... and... well, Xander, if you need some clothes or anything else, you'll probably find them next your house. When I left, I turned one last time and I saw Anya from afar as she was throwing all your stuff down the road. So, I guess that they must still be there," Angel informed him.

"And I talked with Cordelia. She doesn't want to see you anymore. Truth is that I didn't remember that I was playing you, so I talked way too much... and now she is sure that the break up has to do with the fact that you still love Buffy," Spike related.

"Oh no! She'll be thinking that her doubts were right. Anyway, I asked you to break up with her and you did, it doesn't matter how anymore," Angel replied. "By the way, Xander, I called your girl with a wrong name and that name just happened to be Anne. Anya knows that it's Buffy's middle name, so she is also sure that you left her because you want to be with Buffy."

"Crap! Whatever. On the other hand, Buffy is sure that you were just playing with her and her feelings for so long," Xander told Spike.

"My poor pet..." the peroxide blond said.

"Pet, that's it!" Xander exclaimed.

"Why? How did you call her?" Spike wondered.

"Anything but that," the other vampire explained. "Anyway, Spike, are you sure that you and Buffy have problems? I mean, when I met her at the graveyard... she almost jumped my bones!" the brunette confessed.

"The only reason why I'm not killing you for saying that is that she actually thinks that you are me!" Spike growled against him.

"Anyway, believe me, we have problems. And what you saw yesterday was lustful Buffy after a good and satisfying patrol. She acts in a 'I want you so bad' way, but trust me, if you fall in her trap, the morning after she'll scream the hell out of you, calling you a big mistake and running away... sure, that only happens as soon as her legs resume working ..." Spike explained with a malicious and smug smile at the last part. "That can be fun the first time, or the second... or even the tenth time, but now it's not enough anymore, at least not for me. I don't want her to look for me just for her nightly bloody dose of wild sex!" Spike grumbled, but then he noticed that the other two were glaring at him.

"Listen, boy, you have Buffy's former ex-boyfriend and her best friend in front of you, so don't you think that it's time to close this topic?" Angel warned him and Xander nodded.

"Fine!" the blond rolled his eyes.

"Anyway, when she dated me, there wasn't any of this lustful Buffy's attitude, not even after a good and satisfying patrol. We just held hands, walked and chatted and exchanged some kisses... but nothing more!" Angel grumbled.

"Well, buddy, that was lucky for your soul keeping, back on those days! Anyway, you had the girl, now I have the woman, and she is one hell of a woman, she is the one!" Spike commented. "And she'll be mine again, no matter what!" he sneered as he lighted up a cigarette.

"Well, guys, now our girls are all alone, upset and they need some comfort. What the bloody hell are we waiting for, then?" the blond incited the others.

Angel's only answer was saying good bye, as he jumped on Xander's car and headed towards Los Angeles, ready to fix things.

(In the meantime)

WELL I'VE GOT SOME SCATTERED PICTURES LYING ON MY BEDROOM FLOOR

REMIND ME OF THE TIME WE SHARED

MAKE ME WISH THAT YOU WERE THERE

Anya was still inspecting her house, searching for any pictures of Xander that she had missed on her first sweep, to place them on the floor with all the others, just before throwing them on the bonfire she'd made, in order to get rid of those pleasant memories that now had paradoxically become painful ones.

NOW IT SEEMS I'VE FORGOTTEN MY PURPOSE IN THIS LIFE

ALL THE SONGS HAVE BEEN ERASED

GUESS I'VE LEARNED FROM MY MISTAKES

She had been going on like that for two days, since the guy who'd meant so much to her had left home after breaking her heart.

But she was a tough woman, she knew that she would manage to face everything and start over, although in that moment she just felt empty and purposeless.

All of the sudden, she heard someone knock on the door and she went to open, wondering whoever could be.

OPEN THE PAST AND PRESENT NOW AND WE ARE THERE

STORY TO TELL AND I'M LISTENING

OPEN THE PAST AND PRESENT AND THE FUTURE, TOO

IT'S ALL I'VE GOT AND I'M GIVING IT UP TO YOU

(In the meantime)

LOS ANGELES

Cordelia was making a pretty similar bonfire.

LOOSE ENDS TIED IN KNOTS

LEAVING A LUMP DOWN IN MY THROAT

And her mood was pretty much the same, too; she was still wondering how all her world had came crashing down so quickly, leaving her with just a big urge to cry.

She sat on her bed as she threw in the flames, not just the pictures, because she really had very few of those, since Angel didn't seem to love the camera very much. But on the few pictures she had, first she cut away the parts where she appeared, only feeding the small fire with the parts of the pictures where the vampire was featured. She had planned on doing that only with the pictures where she looked good... but truthfully there wasn't a single picture where she didn't look good.

GAGGING ON A SOUVENIR

LODGED TO FILL ANOTHER YEAR

She burned every single thing that reminded her of him, even if it was the most banal of the tools, even a simple pencil that he had used to draw one of his countless portraits, one of the very few hobbies Angel had.

-- The last time I did a bonfire like this was when Xander broke my heart... and now Xander is coming back. Could things go worse than that? -- the gorgeous brunette thought upset.

DRAG IT ON AND ON AND ON

UNTIL MY SKIN IS RIPPED TO SHREDS

LEAVING MY SELF OPEN WIDE

LIVING OUT A SACRIFICE

She felt like she'd been knocked down and she just wanted to escape from everyone and everything, but she didn't know what other job she could do, since she was well aware that her few auditions as model or actress for some advertising companies wouldn't be enough to pay for the lifestyle she'd grown used to, so she was forced to stay in that building full of memories and go on, living out a sacrifice, comforted just by a conclusion.

-- At least, I won't have to deal with Angel anymore... --

The girl couldn't even begin to image how wrong she was.

(End part I)

I hope you'll like it.


	14. Broken Hearts II

Here's the new part:

Broken Hearts (II) (Lyrics form 'Perfect World' by Simple Plan)

(In the meantime)

SUNNYDALE

Buffy was in some sort of trance. It wasn't the catatonic state she had fallen into after Glory had kidnapped Dawn, but it was pretty similar.

I NEVER COULD HAVE SEEN THIS FAR

I NEVER COULD HAVE SEEN THIS COMING

IT SEEMS LIKE MY WORLD IS FALLING APART

-- He was just pretending, it was only a charade... how could I be so stupid not to realize that? I should have known better, he's a vampire, after all, a soulless vampire... -- Buffy thought, scolding herself for her ingenuity.

It wasn't pleasant to miss... an illusion.

WHY IS EVERYTHING SO HARD?

I DON'T THINK THAT I CAN DEAL

WITH THE THINGS YOU SAID

IT JUST WON'T GO AWAY

His words still echoed in her head.

-- How can it be that he kept with the pretence for so long? The torture by Glory, the fact that he helped me and the Scoobies even when he wasn't supposed to do that anymore... all the comfort that he gave me after my resurrection. No, he couldn't have done that just to disappoint me so bad with what he told me. If it's really so... oh my, the hell with his change, he's still evil, even eviler than the Master, Angelus, Mayor Wilkins, Adam and Glory all put together! -- she thought alarmed.

IN A PERFECT WORLD THIS COULD NEVER HAPPEN

IN A PERFECT WORLD YOU'D STILL BE HERE

But Buffy knew that the world was anything but perfect. Before jumping in that deadly vortex she had told her sister that the hardest thing in the world is to live in it.

And maybe the only place where everything was perfect was in Heaven... and sometimes she wished to go back and this was just one of those moments.

AND IT MAKES NO SENSE

I CAN JUST PICK UP THE PIECES

BUT TO YOU IT MEANS NOTHING, NOTHING AT ALL

-- There's still a missing piece in this senseless story. All I know is that Spike doesn't care about me anymore... if he ever really did! Anyway, he pretended so damn well... --

I USED TO THINK THAT I WAS STRONG

UNTIL THE DAY IT ALL WENT WRONG

I THINK I NEED A MIRACLE TO MAKE IT THROUGH

I WISH THAT I COULD BRING YOU BACK

I WISH THAT I COULD TURN BACK TIME

CAUSE I CAN'T LET GO, I JUST CAN'T FIND MY WAY

-- It's not even a matter of turning back time and make things right. Nothing can be right. I don't love a person, I don't even love a vampire. I love an illusion. I'm in love with who I thought Spike was, and nothing can bring that back to me. So, if it's possible, now I feel even more displaced than before. I miss my illusion, I want it back... -- the blonde thought, preventing the tears to take her over.

I DON'T KNOW WHAT I SHOULD DO KNOW

I DON'T KNOW WHERE I SHOULD GO

I'M STILL HERE WAITING FOR YOU

I'M LOST WHEN YOU'RE NOT AROUND

I NEED TO HOLD ON TO YOU

I JUST CAN'T LET YOU GO

All of the sudden, someone turned the light on, taking her mind off her reverie.

"After years and years of slaying them, now it seems that you've also turned into a vampire!" Dawn mocked her. "What are you doing here, all alone, lurking in the shadows?" she asked Buffy, sitting close to her.

After that wild night, Buffy had let Dawn know about Spike's decision to leave town, but without saying anything about their relationship. As the blonde had predicted, Dawn had yelled the hell out of her, blaming her for everything. But as soon as she had found out about his return, for Dawn was as if that fight had never ever happened.

In fact, now the teenager was cuddled close to her, letting Buffy caress her hair along all its length, tenderly.

"Forgive me, Dawnie, I didn't mean to wake you up, it's just that..." she trailed, but her sister got up in a leap, noticing something.

"Hey, wait a minute... whenever you caress my hair like that... it's because you have love troubles!" the girl recalled.

"What?"

"Don't even try to deny it. You used to do that after you and Riley had a fight or when you and Angel crossed a rough patch. Well, the stuff about Angel, it's just fake memories, but the point is that now you have love troubles. So, who is he? You know, Spike won't be happy when he finds out that you have a crush on another guy..." she commented, but her sister's awkward silence was the most eloquent answer.

"Oh, my God! It's Spike! You two are together!" she exulted, visibly excited.

"I can't hide anything to you, can I?" Buffy gave in, rolling her eyes.

"No, you can't, and now, from sister to sister, tell me everything . And don't start with the 'you're still too young to understand stuff... because hello? I'm going to be sixteen years old in a few months and... fresh news, I also date guys!" her sister struck back.

"Yes, you also dated a vampire once. Well, that does nothing but prove that you are my sister for real!" the blonde chuckled, coming back to her usual good mood.

"Yes, but not this time. I'm dating a guy who's not a vampire or a demon... although he's not exactly what you can properly call a good guy, either," Dawn warned her, making Buffy worry. "But don't worry, that was his past, now he's changed and he did for me!" she added.

"So, how long have you two being dating and when the hell had you planned to tell me that?" Buffy wondered.

"Uh! Well, it's just been a couple of months. We met one day at the amusement park and... Bam, now we are together!" she smiled. "I would've told you, but you know... you are always too busy trying to save the world to care about your little sister's life!" Dawn struck back, a little bit upset.

"Oh, Dawnie, I..." Buffy murmured.

"You know what? I forgive you, but just because you always manage to save it!" the girl smiled at her.

"Anyway, Dawn, when a guy says that he'll change for you... you shouldn't trust him so easily..." Buffy warned her.

"A-ha! I got it, you are talking about Spike now, aren't you?"

"Gee, since when did you become so wise?"

"Well... after all, in a certain sense, I'm a thousand years old!" Dawn struck back.

Buffy kept silent for a while. She knew that it would be good for her to talk with someone about this. Willow and Tara had been away for two weeks, due to a meeting with other witches and it would take long for them to come back. Anya wasn't the most suitable interlocutor for that kind of speeches. And at the very end, Dawn was mature enough to understand and maybe give her some advice, too. She had to quit treating her as a baby.

"Ok, Dawn, I'm gonna tell you everything, PG-13 version, of course! But no one knows, so keep the secret!" she warned her.

"My lips are sealed and my ears are spread. So, spit out!" she incited her big sister, sitting close to her once again.

TBC

I hope you enjoyed this sweet moment between sisters ;)


	15. Little Sis' Big Mission I

Chapter X: Little Sis' Big Mission

After her sister's report, Dawn hadn't wasted time and the next morning, instead of going to school, she decided to head towards a certain crypt.

Since it was morning, as it's easy to imagine, Spike was still sleeping peacefully in his bed, because oddly for once his soul seemed not to annoy him; but as soon as his predator senses turned on and he felt a presence in his crypt, he jolted awake, got up and got dressed in a heartbeat, going upstairs.

He was astonished when he realized who had got in.

"Hey, Ni..."

-- Gee, you bloody idiot! She thinks you are Peaches, so say anything but 'Nibblet'! -- the bleached blond scolded himself.

"Nifty girl, what are you doing here? Aren't you supposed to be at school now, as all the good little girls should be?" he immediately corrected himself.

"I'm not a little girl, I'm almost SIXTEEN YEARS OLD! So, stop calling me that!" the teenager roared.

-- Good job, I fooled her!-- Spike thought satisfied.

"Angel, what the hell are you doing here ? Where's Spike?" Dawn questioned him, putting her hands on her hips.

"Well, now I un-live here, if you don't mind. It happens that Spike gave me his crypt and he already found a new one for him. Didn't Buffy tell you that?"

"Buffy told me lots of things, but she must have forgotten about the crypt issue," she explained.

"Wait a minute. What do you mean with 'Buffy told me lots of things'? Did she tell you..." he asked her, without even managing to finish his question.

"Yes, she told me everything about the relationship she had with Spike... and now guess what? You come back all of the sudden and they broke up. This can't be a simple coincidence, Angel, I don't believe in coincidences!" she said, coldly.

"So, do you think that it's my fault if they split?" Spike wondered, glad that Buffy had finally decided to talk with someone about their relationship and even more so that this someone had been her little sister whom Spike loved as the little sister he had never had.

Too bad that now she was glaring at him with the iciest look ever.

"I don't just think that, I'm damn sure that it's all your fault. C'mon, you've always had a thing for Buffy and you can't stand the idea that she could find the happiness she deserves with another vampire who is not you. That's why you have told Spike lots of crap to make him believe that what he was doing was wrong and then you persuaded him to leave her... confess, you... damned couple-breaker!" she accused him.

"I'm sorry, but I have to disappoint you, Miss soon-to-be-a-detective, I didn't talk Spike into leaving Buffy, he did it all on his own. But you are right about one thing. I care about Buffy, I still love her, I want her back and I'm gonna do all I can to get her. And trust me, she shouldn't be upset and waste her time with the Whelp, he doesn't want her, he has other priorities now..." Spike said, without realizing that he'd talked way too much.

"Did you just called Spike 'Whelp'?" Dawn narrowed her eyes, astonished.

"Did I? I don't know how that word came out from my mouth. Well, after all, I'm more than a century older than him... so I have the right to call him that! Whatever, the point is that he's not worthy of Buffy, I am and I'm gonna prove it!" Spike struck back.

"No, you won't! You can't! Do you have the slightest idea how long I've been dreaming about Spike and my sister being together? Then, it finally happens, but I don't have even the time to enjoy it, because they have already broken up in the worst way ever. Anyway, I don't believe a single word of what you said, I'm still hopeful about them going back together, I just know they will. It always works like that when two people are meant to be together," the teenager commented.

Spike was touched by those words, he could almost feel his eyes getting wet by the two little tears that were about to roll over his cheeks, but the vampire managed to push them away in time.

Dawn, his Nibblet wished that he and Buffy were together.

She had never told him that, quite the contrary, at a certain point he had even suspected that she had a crush for him, and truth is that that had happened for real, although it had vanished with the same quickness with which she had passed from N' Sync to Blue!

Spike would have liked to hug her and kiss her forehead in a brotherly way, but he couldn't betray himself. Anyway, he didn't manage to hide a smile.

"So, why are you smiling now?" she asked him roughly.

Spike called himself idiot for the second time in less than half an hour, and then he tried to rescue himself from that awkward situation.

"Well, it's you who makes me smile, because you are all daydreaming and hopeful about something that will never happen! The truth is that Buffy and I will end up together again, whatever you like it or not," he declared.

"I hate you!" she snapped, throwing daggers at him with her eyes.

"You'll change your mind and it will be soon..." he smiled at her.

"Don't be so sure about that!" she struck back. "And now just tell me where I can find Spike!" she added.

-- He's just in front of you!-- he thought, but obviously he gave her a different answer.

After getting all the info she needed, Dawn left his crypt enraged, shutting the door.

-- Well, my dear Nibblet, to win you back will be a piece of cake. The real challenge will be your big sis, but it's a challenge that I'm gonna win!-- the gorgeous bleached blond thought, returning downstairs to his bed.

(End I)


	16. Little Sis' Big Mission II

Hello, here's the new part:

Little Sis' Big Mission (II)

Dawn followed all of Spike's directions, so she managed to find the graveyard and the crypt where Xander had found shelter easily.

She got in silently and went downstairs, where she saw him from afar as he slept on the sarcophagus.

Dawn got closer to him, bit by bit.

"BOO! Guess who is here?" she exclaimed out loud.

Xander jolted awake and jumped from the sarcophagus, growling and unconsciously shifting into his game face, ready to defend himself.

Dawn gave out the mother of all the screams, cowering in a corner.

"Oh, Dawn, it's you... sorry " Xander murmured, not fully awake yet. "It's just that I didn't expect that..." he justified.

"You didn't expect that? C'mon, as if it was the first time that I've sneak into your crypt. Ok, now you got a new one, but it's the same!" she said, recovering from the previous big scare.

"So, it's not the first time," Xander repeated, puzzled.

"Hello? I've been doing this stuff for over a year now. You know, your former crypt was cosier, there's a lot of work to do here, I guess you'll need my help!" she commented.

"You know, I just moved here a few days ago, so there hasn't been much time for furniture and wall papers, but I'll deal with that stuff soon. First, I need a bed, that sarcophagus is killing my poor back... ouch!" Xander complained as he got closer to her, without understanding why she was backing off.

"Well, Spike, it's nothing personal, really... but... can you please shake it off? It makes me kind of nervous," the girl whimpered.

As soon as he touched his face, Xander finally figured out what the problem was.

"Uh, sorry, I hadn't even realized that," he muttered, closing his eyes for a bunch of seconds.

"Is it gone?" he asked her, but Dawn shook her head negatively.

Xander didn't know what to do. Just like the first time at the beach, his game-face appeared and disappeared on its own when the hunger urged him, after all no one and nothing would prevent him from eating... not even an un-life!

But now it wasn't a matter of hunger, he had been caught off guard and no one had bothered to explain to him how to control his demon. He had to handle it on his own.

"C'mon, make it go away!" Dawn incited him.

"Can you help me do that?" he asked her.

"What? You are kidding, it seems that you have been a vampire just for a day, instead than more than a century!" Dawn made fun of him.

"Well, actually, it's just been for a week," Xander pointed out, but Dawn looked at him puzzled. "Just kidding, of course. You know what? This is just a game..." he justified.

"A game?" Dawn made her best perplexed face.

"Yeah, a game. Just pretend to be a vampire. You have your game face on, out of the blue. What would you do to make it go away?" he wondered.

"Uhmm... I don't know, it's not something that you command by snapping your fingers, is it?" she asked, but he shook his head negatively. "Uhmm... is there any secret word to say?" she wondered.

"No, I wish it was so easy!" he answered, rolling his amber eyes.

"Ok. Well, I guess that I would close my eyes, concentrating for a while and wishing that it was gone with all my being..." she said.

He followed her advice and it worked.

"Well, well, I'm a potential vampiress and I didn't even know that!" Dawn chuckled, but then she became very serious. "Don't you want to know why I am here?" she asked him.

"Didn't you just say that you always visit me in my crypt?" he made her notice.

"Yes, I did, but this time it's different. Buffy confessed your little secret to me," she informed him.

"Really?"

"Yeah. She told me everything."

"So, what exactly did she tell you?" Xander questioned her, eager to know more.

"What? Why should I tell you something that you know so much better than me?" Dawn struck back.

"Yeah, why should you do that?" he rolled his now brown eyes.

"Anyway, I know what happened. Angel must have said something to you and he fooled you on the first try..." Dawn commented with a smirk.

"Enough with this story! I don't know why you all think that it's Angel's fault. Truth is that I figured out everything on my own. I thought I was in love with Buffy, but I am not," he explained, trying to seem like Spike as much as he could.

Dawn's face darkened immediately after.

"Does this mean that now... you hate her again?" she got worried.

"No, of course I don't. I care about her and I want her to be happy, but she can't be happy with me, now I know," he justified.

"But she is so heart broken... does that mean anything to you?" Dawn protested.

"Of course, it means that someone will make things better for her soon, very soon, but this someone is not me!" he struck back. "Anyway, whatever happened between Buffy and me, it has nothing to do with our friendship. Because we are still friends. Right?" he asked her, wavering.

She thought about that for a while and then she finally spoke.

"I know that you did nothing directly against me and you have no intentions of hurting me or anything... but… To be honest... I don't know. I need some time. After all, you let me down, Spike, a lot!" she said, a little bit bitterly, before leaving.

Once he was alone, Xander rolled his eyes again, sitting on the sarcophagus and putting his hands in his hair.

"To regain Dawn's friendship. Here's another issue on my 'Thing to do' list!"

TBC

Next chapter is about Angel and his 'new condition'..

I just hope someone will like it ..


	17. Dealing With Humanity

Chapter XI: Dealing With Humanity

LOS ANGELES

Angel had already reached his destination, but he had been lingering in the front door of his agency for more than fifteen minutes.

-- What am I supposed to do now? Act all funny and carefree in a 'Xander' way? Or be myself in my classic 'Angel' way? What if she suspects something? But mostly what if she does not ? After all, the main goal in our plan is that our girls recognize who we really are... so... it's necessary that she suspects at least a little something. Well, I'll try to mix the two of us, then. Uh-oh. What's wrong now? It can't be. Gee, I stopped on a motorway restaurant just a couple of hours ago. So, why do I have this annoying and very urgent need again? To be human sucks... no! What am I saying? To be human is all I ever wanted; it's just that I shouldn't have drunk all those beers. Well, man, you have two choices now: to knock on the damn door and get inside, or to stand here and wet your very expensive trousers! Angel told himself, as he knocked insistently on the door that this time he had found closed.

As always, it was Harmony who opened the door.

"About time, too. We've been waiting for you for ages!" she rolled her eyes, but he ignored her.

"Sorry, it's an emergency, be right back in a minute!" he explained, rushing towards the bathroom.

Ten minutes later, Cordelia got a bit worried for him since he hadn't come out yet, so she decided to head to the bathroom to find out what was keeping him there.

She found Angel looking at his reflection in the mirror, while he arranged his hair, smiling, pouting and grimacing in every way he could.

"So, what? Don't you have mirrors at home?" she asked sarcastically.

"Yeah, I don't and the ones in my car are too small," he answered, still entranced in what he was doing and then he jolted, suddenly realizing that he wasn't alone anymore.

His answer confused her a little bit, but she preferred to ignore it, shifting her attention at how he was dressed.

"Angel..." she murmured.

The brunette man almost had a heart attack, and now he could have one for real!

"That's the sweater I bought for Angel…" Cordelia added.

Angel breathed relieved... and a bit disappointed at the same time. After all, it was still too soon, it was impossible that she had already recognized him.

"Yes, it is, he gave it to me. What can I say? Some people can't appreciate its value, but some others can," he smiled at her.

"Well, you can keep it. Actually, it fits you to a T. You'll probably look good with all his clothes, since he left everything here..." she commented and then she came to another conclusion, narrowing her eyes at him.

"Hey, how did you know where the bathroom was? You came here just once and you didn't go to the bathroom then," the smart brunette girl got suspicious.

"Uh, you're right, but you know what? Angel described this place to me so well that I almost feel as if it was mine!" he justified and she seemed to buy that.

"Whatever!" she shrugged. "So, explain to me how can it be possible that Angel picked you of all people as his substitute, as the one that's going to run the agency? What's that about?" she asked him.

"Believe me, Angel really knows what he's doing and there's a specific reason why he has picked me. Cordy, I'm not the immature boy I used to be, my life is more than donuts and comics now!" he explained.

-- Uhmm... maybe I overdid it by talking about Xander like that. After all I didn't know him very well back to those days. Well, it's not like today he's my best friend, either. Anyway, she is smiling and nodding, so maybe I guessed right... Angel thought.

"The point is that I've changed, Cordy, you have no idea how much. Now I know lots about demons and their weaknesses, so I'll be very helpful to you," he guaranteed.

"So, the visit you made a few days ago... it wasn't casual," she figured.

"Exactly, let's say that it was planned so I could... get used to this place. Maybe I seemed a little bit confused that day... but it was just because it was all so new to me..." he tried to justify and it seemed to work.

"Well, what can I say? Welcome to the A.I. team, then. Not to brag, but... we are the best!" she smiled. "Anyway, it's lucky for us that Wolfram&Hart has been already defeated, because they could've meant huge trouble without Angel here to protect us, not that I would want his protection anyway, I don't want anything from him anymore!" she snapped.

"You are really mad at him, aren't you?"

"Hell yeah, I am. He just used me, before realizing that he just cares about his stupid Buffy, no, wait, Buffy did nothing to me, Angel's the stupid one, stupid, stupid, Angel!" she commented, getting furious.

"People have the tendency of painting everything black or white, when sometimes the right answer is in all the other colours..." Angel commented, but she didn't get what the point was and he hadn't time to clarify that, because Gunn and Wesley rushed into the office, panting and sweating.

"Well, guys, I don't know what happened to you, but I know for sure that a shower is what you need, eeeww!" the brunette girl stated with a disgusted face.

"We've been attacked by a group of demons, we tried to fight against them, but they are kind of invincible, so we thought that the best thing to do was to run away," Gunn explained as Wesley nodded.

"Could you describe these demons to me?" Angel asked them.

"Sure, They're tall, thin but extremely strong, they have purple skin with orange spots, red eyes and... Uh, Xander, sorry, I didn't even say hi. Anyway, no offence, but... how can Angel think that that you'll be a big help?" Wesley snapped, looking at Xander sceptically.

"Well, maybe because, after your description, I can tell you that they are Kuwuk demons!" Angel explained.

"Kuwuk demons?" Wesley repeated, narrowing his eyes, perplexed and surprise by the quick answer.

"Uh! Why didn't I think about that before?" Harmony exclaimed.

"What?" Cordelia wondered, astonished by the possibility that her friend could be enlightened about such an important matter.

"It's the same word, either if you read it from left to right or the other way around!" the blonde vampiress explained, feeling strongly proud due to her brilliant observation.

"Thanks, Harm, you just solved all your problems!" Gunn rolled his eyes, sarcastically.

"Anyway, believe me, yes, they seem to be invincible at first sight…"

"Or at first fight!" Wesley corrected him.

"Whatever. I was saying that they seem strong, but there's a very easy way to destroy them. Light," the former vampire informed his crew.

"Do you mean sunlight, just like with vampires?" Gunn asked him.

"No, I just meant light, any kind of light, even the electric light would be lethal to them. So, I guess that a torch is the best weapon you can bring with you!" Angel suggested them.

"Alright. Anyway, how did you know that?" Wesley questioned him.

"Well, you know, I faced one of them in 1967 and..."

"You what?" Wesley's eyes went wide.

Angel bit his tongue.

"Sorry, I'm on delirium due to the long trip and the lack of sleep. I meant that I read on one of Giles' books about someone who fought against them, I just have a wonderful memory!" the brunette guy corrected himself.

The others seemed to understand, as he followed Cordelia in the kitchen.

"You did change, I'd never thought you'd become a book-guy!" the girl commented, sitting on a chair and picking a magazine she had left on the table.

In the meantime, Angel was giving all his attention to the very well stocked fridge.

"Gee, Xan, it seems that you haven't eaten for centuries!" she commented as he was making the king of sandwiches, filling it with every eatable thing he could find.

"Well, actually... it's been more than two centuries, except for a single day two years ago and some very quick meals in the last days that even I can't call proper food!" he clarified, leaving the room with his precious treasure.

"I was wrong, Xander didn't change a bit!" Cordelia thought out loud, shaking her head amused.

Maybe things weren't going to be so bad after all.

TBC

In the next chapter, we'll come back to Sunnydale, are you ready?

I hope you'll like it..


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